@mercy0000 I lived through the early stages of the pandemic as a 69 year-old male with a bit of life's experience and some modest education. It was clear to me, from government published information and various interviews, that the vaccine was not intended to prevent disease, but was hoped to diminish the deleterious effects that the virus could impose on any one body. The idea, again made quite crystal clear at the outset, was to train the immune response to recognize the antigen more quickly and to mount a rapid defense before the virus load overwhelmed the body, which it could potentially do inside of about five days from initial exposure. I think some people heard 'vaccine' and thought it would be the same as for polio or tetanus.

And yes, if the body was quick to suppress the infection and the other reactions, it might also slow the progression of the disease, its spread, in the general population. Additionally, the vaccine was intended to slow the numbers of people, desperately sick people, who would have gone to local ERs and been piled up in the hallways, overwhelming the staff's ability to treat everyone fully.