Vaccines, masks and the delta variant in Missouri: Answers to your COVID-19 questions

As Missouri faces a wave of COVID-19 variant infections, we want to get you the information you need to live safe, healthy lives.

Here are the answers to your questions about the delta variant, masks and the vaccine:

Do vaccinated people need to wear masks again?

The WHO has urged governments not to lift pandemic restrictions too quickly — including saying everyone, even the vaccinated, should continue to wear masks given that the delta variant spreads more easily and no vaccine is 100% effective.

In the U.S., the CDC maintains it still is safe for the fully vaccinated to go without a mask. But there’s no way to know if maskless people really are vaccinated and local governments can set tighter guidelines. With the delta variant spreading locally, health officials in Los Angeles County said they still recommend masks indoors in public places for everyone.

If that’s confusing, consider that the more the virus is spreading in a particular area, the more risk even the vaccinated have of getting a mild or asymptomatic infection they could spread to someone not protected — such as children too young to qualify for the shots.

You can read more about how masks protect against variants here.

Do vaccines protect against the delta variant?

The currently available COVID-19 vaccines offer adequate protection against the delta variant and other variants of concern spreading in the U.S.

A study from Public Health England found that three weeks after one dose, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 33% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the delta variant. Two weeks following the second dose, which is recommended for full protection, it was 88% effective.

New results from a laboratory study showed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine appears effective against the delta variant, with just a “modest reduction” in antibody levels compared to the original strain.

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine also spurred antibody activity against the delta variant, the company announced, and “at an even higher level” compared to that of the beta variant first identified in South Africa. In all, it was 85% effective against severe/critical disease and protected against hospitalization and death.

While the vaccines currently protect against the delta variant, the virus could eventually mutate to evade the shots’ defenses, experts say. Masks would add an extra layer of protection for the vaccinated, and even more so for the unvaccinated who are at higher risk of infection, as researchers learn more about the delta variant.

Are schools reevaluating their mask mandates?

Area school districts will have to decide whether to go back to mandating masks and come up with policies on vaccinations.

Do immunocompromised people need to continue masking and distancing?

The CDC recommends people who are immunocompromised and have been vaccinated discuss the need for personal protective measures with their healthcare provider, as they may not be fully protected. There is limited data on vaccine protection for immunocompromised people.

Send us your questions

We think it’s important to get you the information you need. When the pandemic first hit Missouri last spring, we answered your questions about masks, stay-at-home orders, stimulus checks and we plan to continue to find you answers as the virus surges.

Ask us your most pressing questions about the variant, how to stay safe or what you don’t understand in the module below, or email kcq@kcstar.com.

Katie Camero with McClatchy and Lauren Neergaard with the Associated Press contributed reporting.

This story was originally published July 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.