• However, more vaccinated NFL players have been found to be positive for COVID-19 that unvaccinated ones. This is because there are many of them.
• According to the league's top physician, players who have been vaccinated by the NFL are less likely than others to get positive tests.
• He said that if they do become sick, they recover quicker than their non-vaccinated peers.

Dr. Allen Sills is the chief medical officer of the National Football League. He can answer many questions about how the COVID-19 vaccinations actually do their job.

Sills stated that people often say "gosh, maybe these vaccinations don't work" because they see all the positive test results from vaccinated people.

He says this is not the correct way to interpret data.

Sills stated, "We just have so much more people that are vaccinated." (Roughly 94% are vaccinated in the NFL, and 100% of the coaches are.)

Vaccines do a great job of reducing COVID-19 risks. Although vaccines can't eliminate 100% of the risk of infection, they make it less likely that people will contract the virus and are more likely to recover quickly from the illness.

Sills said that this is what he has seen in the NFL.

COVID zero isn't really possible. He said that it is not going to disappear as much as we would like.

Sills however has witnessed firsthand the impact vaccines have on players. Sills collects data every week from the league about who is sick with COVID-19.

The NFL routinely tests its players and has a quarantine system in place for any breakthrough cases.

If they can provide two negative PCR (lab test) results within 24 hours, then vaccinated NFL players are allowed to return to the field.

Already 20% of COVID-19-eligible players have been able test out isolation before the end of day 10, Sills stated.

COVID-19-infected players must remain isolated from their teammates for the entire 10 days. This is not a punishment for unvaccinated players. It reflects science that shows how fast vaccinated people are able to eliminate the virus.

Sills stated that vaccinated NFL players are more resilient to illness, which allows them to recover faster.

Sills says that unvaccinated NFL players are "more likely to test positive" and become sick. Even if they do contract the virus, many don't realize they have it.

Sills stated that many people believe it is their allergies. "We have had to do a lot more education around "if you feel something, tell someone."

Sills stated that this means vaccines do a "terrific job" of what they were intended for.

Sills stated that the players who have recovered from COVID-19 infection faster are clearing the virus quicker because they have an overwhelming immune system.

They are less likely to contract the disease in the first place and have a better chance of recovering if they get sick later. The NFL offers some other benefits for vaccinated players. They are able to travel, dine out and spend time with their families, as well as use NFL facilities without masks. Sills claims that these benefits are not intended to be punishive to unvaccinated league players.

Sills stated that the vaccines were designed to show "that you are at greater risk if your child is not vaccinated" than if they are. It is, however, a completely different experience.

The neurosurgeon has now provided a clear answer to vaccine-skeptics based on the huge amounts of NFL data that he has collected.

"Do vaccines work?" Yes," Sills said.

They prevent serious illness, hospitalizations, and even death. People who have been vaccinated are less likely to be positive, and those who are positive tend to have milder illnesses for a shorter time.