An infectious disease expert on Saturday, July 31, stressed the importance of vaccination as a document released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the more transmissible Delta variant is as "contagious as chickenpox."
The CDC also said that although vaccinated people rarely get serious breakthrough infections, when they do get infected, they can transmit the virus as easily as unvaccinated people.
It also found that the viral loads were similar among 127 fully vaccinated individuals and 84 others who were unvaccinated.
"Vaccinated people with breakthrough Delta infection can infect people around them, even though vaccinated people are much less likely to die. Delta is also more deadly compared to non-Delta, so it's a really good idea to get vaccinated," Dr. Edsel Salvana, infectious disease expert and member of the Department of Health Technical Advisory Group, said in a Facebook post.
Salvana also asked those who are fully vaccinated to keep wearing face masks "to protect those around them."
"The most protected when we get vaccinated is ourselves. We need to keep using masks and other public health interventions to protect others. When everyone is vaccinated, deaths will go down drastically and maybe then we can start relaxing these measures," he added.
As the Delta variant continues to spread rapidly through the United States, the CDC updated mask guidance now recommends people wear masks when inside public spaces in areas where the spread of the virus is "substantial" or "high," regardless of one's vaccination.