Researchers found that vaccination rates among adults reduced rates of infection among children younger than 16 years<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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TUESDAY, April 6, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Mass COVID-19 vaccinations may help combat the pandemic by protecting both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, according to a new study.<\/p>\n
Researchers analyzed 223 communities in Israel and found that higher vaccination rates among adults reduced rates of infection among children younger than 16, The Washington Post<\/em> reported. The authors of the study — which has not been peer-reviewed — could not say whether the vaccines actually reduced transmission of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n Israel launched one of the world’s most aggressive vaccination campaigns last December and has immunized more than half of its adult population. Most have received the Pfizer vaccine, The Post<\/em> reported. A previous study showed that the Pfizer vaccine reduces the viral load in people who contracted COVID-19 shortly after receiving the first dose.<\/p>\n “Reduced infection and viral load suggest reduced transmission,” and the high effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine “suggests a potential for a population-level effect, critical for disease eradication,” the authors of the new study wrote, The Post<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n