Those who are not in favor of mass vaccinations of Louisiana residents against coronavirus might feel this story proves their point. That point is this, "why get vaccinated when I can still get sick"? However, the fact that some 126 of the state's residents who were considered fully vaccinated still came down with the disease only proves the vaccinations are worth it.

Let me explain.

First, you have to understand this about vaccines. They are not foolproof and they don't guarantee 100% protection 100 percent of the time against a particular malady. In the case of the current COVID-19 vaccines being used in the state, that medicine works very well, but it's not foolproof.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control suggested that both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were 90% effective two weeks after the second dose. The point to consider is how health officials define "effective".

This is what health care professionals are defining as "effective", at least in the case of the coronavirus vaccines.  Doctors are quick to point out is that all of those who were fully vaccinated and tested positive for COVID reported minimal to very minor symptoms. None of the infected became so seriously ill that hospitalizations were not necessary.

Which is the actual point of the vaccine. It's not to totally keep you from getting sick. It's to totally keep you from dying as a result of your symptoms.

State Health Officials say that most of the cases reported by the 126 individuals were asymptomatic. In other words, the people didn't even know they were infected until they were tested. Which would lend support to the idea that if you do get vaccinated your experience with COVID-19 should be a lot better than those who experienced the disease without the benefit of a vaccine.

Currently, 1.3 million Louisiana residents have received at least one dose of vaccine. Just over 800,000 of the state's residents are reported to be fully vaccinated. Even using very round numbers makes the infection rate among the fully vaccinated.015% which is minuscule in comparison to pre-vaccination infection rates.

Obviously, state health officials and state government officials are encouraging you to get your vaccination as soon as you possibly can. The more people that get vaccinated the more confidently our state's economy, including our very lucrative tourism industry, can reopen fully.

Things We Are Ready To Do Again in 2021