How long might a vaccine provide immunity for?

[DOS_patos]

What’s always top of mind for so many Americans is when this pandemic might finally be over.
Well, we have good news so far on the vaccine front.
But how long will the vaccine protect us?
Even though we don’t know some of the specifics on the recently announced coronavirus vaccines, viewers asked: “How long do vaccines generally provide immunity for?”

WUSA9 reached out to an infectious diseases specialist for that answer.
“How long a vaccine lasts depends on the actual vaccine itself. The goal of a vaccine is to have as long of an immunity as possible,” explained Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Linda Nabha.
“What vaccines are designed to do is to create these antibodies when you get a vaccine, your body sees a foreign particle, and it reacts, it makes antibodies. And what you really want is the body to keep those antibodies for as long as possible," said Dr. Nabha.


So what’s the range for how long vaccines typically last?
Dr. Nabha said it could be anywhere from a couple of months to a lifetime.
“So take a flu shot, for example, right? We recommend people get their flu shot by October because we know it doesn't last a year. So we think that it lasts probably as long as six months for the flu shot,” she explained.




“A tetanus vaccine, for example, lasts for 10 years, so you have to get revaccinated as an adult. The shingles vaccine, that's a two-step process. The second one is do between six months and a year, and that should provide you with lifelong immunity against shingles. So it really depends on the vaccine.

 

[Lea]

I wonder how you formulate a vaccine for a disease that effects people so differently?

 

[DOS_patos]

I wonder how you formulate a vaccine for a disease that effects people so differently?

Exactly. But this reminded me of a thread I wanted to make that kinda addresses this.

Thank you

 

[Chicity]

Should have made a thread about the tweet instead of the paragraph

 

[Scandalust313]

Can states mandate vaccines? Can a state punish you for refusing a vaccine?

"Legal, but unlikely"

Our experts emphasize that there is an important nuance to this story.
This Supreme Court decision makes such a punishment legal, but that doesn't mean it's likely.

"That’s not how we enforce vaccine laws these days,” said Meyers. "There are no criminal statutes in the states mandating children or adults get the flu vaccine for example."

According to Meyers, the more typical approach is for schools and workplaces to require a vaccine before a person may enter their facilities. Threatening jail-time or fines is less likely, our experts said.

"States do have the power to compel vaccination," Gostin said. "The question is whether they should."

Our experts also point out that there are some important exemptions. People who have a medical issue, like an allergy or a low immune system were explicitly exempted in that 1905 legal decision.

Gostin said that most states also have exemptions for people with religious or philosophical objections to vaccinations.

"It's not a constitutional requirement," he said. "States have these exemptions because they want to politically. They think it's the right thing to do."

So, what's the final verdict?

We can Verify that yes, states do have the authority to mandate vaccinations and enforce these mandates with fines or jail time.
However, there are multiple important exemptions, and this has not typically been the approach to vaccine enforcement in the United States.