WASHINGTON — People who are vaccinated against COVID-19 not only protect themselves, but are also likely reducing the risk of spreading the disease and infecting others, according to new Army research.
Vaccine research at the emerging infectious diseases branch of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research monitored the amount of virus that replicates in the noses, sinuses and throats of monkeys after they are vaccinated. Monkeys, like humans, can still become infected with COVID-19 after they are vaccinated, but the vaccine reduces the severity of the illness.
The research found that for monkeys that were vaccinated and then infected, “there’s a rapid decline in the amount of virus that’s reproducing” in their noses and upper airways, said Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of infectious disease research at Walter Reed.
