Can children come in contact with grandparents who have taken the vaccine? – Grace Fenech
COVID-19 vaccines in general will help protect individual patients. However a large proportion of the population must be immunised and protected before transmission in the community is substantially reduced. We do not yet have data to indicate whether the vaccine prevents asymptomatic COVID-19 although studies are ongoing.
Hence, it is crucial that the public health measures currently in place to reduce COVID-19 transmission continue to be adhered to. Effective preventive measures, such as social distancing from those not in your household or support bubble, avoiding gatherings, washing hands and wearing masks are, at the present time, still needed even for those who have been vaccinated.
My son was in contact with a positive case and we were all forced to quarantine for 15 days even though we had already been infected with COVID-19. Will there be a better solution or exception for cases like mine? Why do I have to quarantine even though I had COVID-19 a couple of months ago? – Clifford Xuereb
The protection of natural immunity gained from having been infected with COVID-19 varies from person to person. We do not yet know how long natural immunity lasts and some cases of re-infection with COVID-19 have been documented.
Also, since asymptomatic transmission from vaccinated persons has not been excluded, vaccinated persons are not exempt from quarantine, for example if they have close contact with a positive case.
After the second dose is administered, how long will the vaccine remain effective? – John Portelli
When a vaccine is licensed, only information about the duration of immunity for that particular period of time included in the trial is available.
The vaccine manufacturers will continue to monitor vaccine recipients for several months or more so that, over time, we will continue to get a better picture of the duration of immunity.
Is it a fact that positive cases detected by private clinics are not included in government official statistics? – Patrick Agius
The reporting of positive COVID-19 cases on national statistics includes all the positive cases that are confirmed by RT-PCR testing from the Mater Dei Hospital laboratory and three other private laboratories, which are licensed to conduct RT-PCR testing.
COVID-19 is a statutory notifiable disease and medical diagnostic laboratories and medical practitioners who identify positive cases are obliged to notify on such cases. All information is processed in accordance with data protection regulations. All cases, both those confirmed by the Mater Dei laboratory and those by private laboratories are investigated.
The other day I was listening to an expert on television advising viewers not to drink skimmed milk because it is not healthy. Do you advise drinking the standard pasteurised fresh milk with 2.5 per cent fat? – Kevin Mizzi
Dairy products are to be consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet as suggested by the ‘Healthy plate’ model, which should also include a wide variety of whole plant foods, especially vegetables and fruit.
Dairy products contain adequate amounts of calcium that is needed for our bones and teeth. Fresh pasteurised dairy products also contain other important vitamins and minerals as well as protein.
Opting for low-fat dairy products is often recommended as they contain just as many nutrients as the full-fat version but with less saturated fat and fewer calories, if no sugars are added. They may also help reduce the risk of different diseases that often show up later in life.
Nevertheless, children under five years of age may require dairy products with a higher fat percentage, such as the 2.5 per cent fat to meet their requirements for optimal growth and energy/fat levels.
Have any questions to ask the superintendent? Send an e-mail to askcharmaine@timesofmalta.com.