--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Welcome to Today Explained. I'm Sean Rameswaram.
--:-- Noel King: And I'm Noel King.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Today, we're talking about the New York Yankees and COVID-19. Nine players and staff members tested positive for the virus, despite being vaccinated. We're joined by Brian Resnick, a science reporter at Vox.
--:-- Brian Resnick: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, Brian, let's start with the basics. What happened with the Yankees?
--:-- Brian Resnick: Well, several members of the Yankees organization, including eight staff members and one player, tested positive for COVID-19. They had all been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
--:-- Noel King: And that's interesting because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been shown to be less effective than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
--:-- Brian Resnick: That's right. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has an efficacy rate of around 60 to 70 percent, which is still very effective, but not as high as the other two vaccines.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, what does this mean for the idea that vaccines are working?
--:-- Brian Resnick: I think it's actually a great example of how vaccines are working. Even though these people were vaccinated, they still got infected with COVID-19. But the key thing is that they didn't get sick. They didn't show any symptoms, and they're not likely to be spreading the virus to others.
--:-- Noel King: That's a really important point. Can you explain why that is?
--:-- Brian Resnick: Sure. When you get vaccinated, your body is primed to fight off the virus. Even if you do get infected, your immune system is able to clear out the virus quickly, so you don't get sick. And that's what happened with the Yankees.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, this is a breakthrough infection, right? The vaccine didn't prevent the infection, but it did prevent the disease.
--:-- Brian Resnick: Exactly. Breakthrough infections are when someone who's been vaccinated still gets infected with the virus, but they don't get sick. And that's what happened with the Yankees.
--:-- Noel King: And what about the idea that vaccines aren't 100 percent effective? Is that a problem?
--:-- Brian Resnick: No, not at all. No vaccine is 100 percent effective. The measles vaccine, for example, isn't 100 percent effective, but we don't see a lot of measles outbreaks because there's not a lot of measles going around. The same thing is true with the flu vaccine. It's not 100 percent effective, but we still use it because it's better than nothing.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That makes sense. And what about the idea that the CDC's new mask guidelines are a problem?
--:-- Brian Resnick: I don't think so. The CDC's guidelines are based on good science, and they make sense. If you're fully vaccinated, you're not likely to spread the virus to others, so you don't need to wear a mask.
--:-- Noel King: But what about unvaccinated people? Are they going to take this as a sign that they can go without masks too?
--:-- Brian Resnick: I don't think so. The guidelines are clear that unvaccinated people should still wear masks.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Okay, let's switch gears a bit. We're also joined by Melanie West, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal.
--:-- Melanie West: Hi, thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Melanie, you're in New York City, which is reopening after a long pandemic. What's it like?
--:-- Melanie West: It's wild. People are still wearing masks, but it's not as strict as it was before. You can see people eating inside restaurants, and it's not as crowded as it used to be.
--:-- Noel King: And what about the vaccination rates in New York City?
--:-- Melanie West: We're at around 60 percent of adults who have had at least one dose, and 51 percent who are fully vaccinated.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a pretty high rate. What does that mean for the reopening?
--:-- Melanie West: It means that we're in a good place. We're not seeing a lot of cases, and we're not overwhelming the hospitals.
--:-- Noel King: And what about the tourists? Are they coming back?
--:-- Melanie West: Yeah, we're expecting a lot of tourists this summer. Broadway is reopening in September, and that's a big deal for the city.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Okay, let's wrap up. Brian, what's the takeaway from this story?
--:-- Brian Resnick: I think the takeaway is that vaccines are working, even if they're not 100 percent effective. And that's a good thing.
--:-- Noel King: And Melanie, what's the takeaway from the reopening of New York City?
--:-- Melanie West: I think the takeaway is that we're in a good place, but we still need to be careful. We need to keep wearing masks, and we need to get vaccinated.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Thanks, Brian and Melanie, for joining us today.
--:-- Brian Resnick: Thanks for having us.
--:-- Melanie West: Thanks.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And that's it for today's show. Thanks for listening.
--:-- Noel King: And don't forget to support Today Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: You can do that at bit.ly/givepodcasts.
--:-- Noel King: And visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices to learn more about your ad choices.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Thanks again for listening.
--:-- Noel King: And we'll see you tomorrow.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Bye.
