Explainer: How will life change after getting Covid jab in Pakistan?

The Express Tribune answers all your questions on what you can safely do, precautions still needed

The day has finally come. You've received the Covid-19 vaccine currently available in Pakistan such as the Sinopharm or soon to arrive Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.

Does that mean you're free to go about life as you did before the pandemic once immunity kicks in?

Sorry, there is no immunity passport yet, according to experts. There are still safety precautions you need to follow in order to keep you, your loved ones and everyone else safe and protected from the deadly coronavirus.

Say goodbye to your face mask?

Let's "face" it: The answer is no.

Try to think of a face mask as your new best friend, one that you plan to cherish and appreciate for a good, long time. Here are five reasons why.

1) It's not 100 per cent protection: Even the best of the currently available vaccines only offer up to 95 per cent protection when you are fully immunised. That means there is a 5 per cent chance you can catch the novel coronavirus at any time.

Think that sounds small? Let's compare that risk to birth control: Pills, patches, vaginal rings and shots are 91% to 96% effective. Yet that translates to nine women becoming pregnant for every 100 women on each of those forms of birth control. according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

2) Everyone's different: Some people are going to mount more robust immune responses to both rounds of the Covid-19 vaccination than others. That's one of the key reasons experts are insisting everyone receive the second shot of the vaccine within a key time frame.

3) A moving target: As is typical with viruses, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is mutating around the world -- creating variants that are proving to be more contagious than those Pakistan is currently battling.

Experts are already warning that antibodies from a prior case of Covid-19 won't protect against being reinfected with a variant from South Africa.

There is also a possibility that the current vaccines won't fully protect against the new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. That's being studied feverishly right now, so stay tuned.

4) You could be a silent spreader: Remember "Typhoid Mary" Mallon? She was an Irish immigrant who worked as a cook for New York families and refused to believe she was an asymptomatic conduit for typhoid fever because she remained healthy. Refusing to cooperate with authorities, Mallon contaminated at least 122 people in the 1880s, leaving five dead, before she was caught and quarantined twice for a total of 26 years.

That scenario could apply to Covid-19.

5) Will immunity last? Researchers don't yet know just how long the immunity given by the current vaccines -- such as it is -- will last. There is a possibility that booster doses may be needed in the months or years to come. That's not uncommon -- adults need tetanus and diphtheria boosters every 10 years.

So until more is known about how long the protection lasts -- and against which variants -- stay safe and protect others by wearing a mask.

Can I meet friends and family?

That depends on everyone's vaccine status, experts say. If friends or other members of your family have also received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, the risk is greatly reduced, especially if the visit is outdoors.

However, if the visit is indoors, experts say there is going to be some level of risk, especially with the current spread of more contagious variants and the less than 100% efficacy of today's vaccines.

When can I eat at an indoor restaurant or go to a concert or sporting event?

Indoor restaurants are likely hotspots for Covid-19 transmission. That's partly because no one is wearing a mask while they eat, thus spreading their respiratory droplets around as they socialise.

The other reason? Most restaurants do not have HEPA filters or other filtration equipment on their circulation systems, leaving the air poorly ventilated and a prime breeding ground for virus spread.

So even with the vaccine, you're still taking a chance that you might be exposed to Covid-19 and become a silent spreader.

But won't the typical 6-foot spread between tables or booth partitions do the trick?

Experts say the six feet indoors is not enough by itself and ventilation is key for sititing indoors.

What about fun things to do, such as concerts and sporting events?

Health experts say that once vaccinated, an outdoor sporting event or concert is probably safe, if there is good social distancing between households and everyone is wearing masks.

Can I travel after vaccination?

A pandemic is not the best time to be travelling internationally or domestically and this also applies for even those who are already vaccinated.

However, if one must travel all public health recommendations must be followed.