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health matters

Why You Must Continue Observing Health Protocols After You’ve Been Vaccinated

January 20, 2021

Hello Berlico Buddies,

Indonesia has kicked-off its Covid-19 vaccination drive on Wednesday, 13 January 2021 with President Jokowi getting the first shot. The Sinovac-made vaccine has received emergency use authorization from the Indonesia Food and Drug Control Agency (BPOM) and halal certificate from the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI). This is a step in the right direction in the fight against Covid-19. Now that the vaccination drive is underway, does this mean the pandemic is ending soon?

Vaccines are a breath of fresh air for the Indonesian public as the Covid-19 pandemic worsens. Still, the public should not see vaccines as the only solution to end the pandemic. Strict observation of health protocols remains important even after being inoculated.

Dicky Budiman, Indonesian epidemiologist at Griffith University Australia, said that vaccines are not the silver bullets but rather one of the ways to induce individual and herd immunity. There are no Covid-19 vaccines that provides the perfect protection. A vaccinated person may still contract the disease, though their symptoms would not be as severe.

There has never been a pandemic that quickly came under control once its vaccine was founded. Smallpox, for example, has been recorded for hundreds of years and was only eradicated within 200 years despite vaccination efforts. Even then, there are sporadic cases recorded occasionally. Vaccines do not result in instant eradication. It takes years of effort to reach herd immunity.

It should be clear by now that you should continue to observe health protocols even if the vaccination drive has started. Strict compliance with Covid-19 prevention measures is the only way to ensure that the vaccination drive to end the pandemic is successful. You must always wear a mask, maintain a safe distance, and regularly wash your hands. If handwashing is not possible, spray Proteck Hand Care Spray Plus on your hands for maximum protection.

Stay safe and stay healthy,

Berlico