The "vaccine is not about preventing the infection" meme got really annoying since COVID, since the COVID vaccine while very useful turned out to not be as useful for infection prevention as we'd thought.
That does not change the fact that the role of a "vaccine" is mainly to prevent the infection, and the "getting less sick" fact is a second class effect.
More generally, vaccines are just a mechanism for acquiring immunity. Immunity doesn't mean "you don't feel sick," it means "your immune systems responds better and faster to the real thing."
I do not need to need to be educated about how vaccines work, I know that there is a secondary effect of vaccines that primes your immune system and makes the disease easier to fight. But it's a secondary effect, otherwise we would call more things "vaccines", as we know that for example "exercise helps with immune response".
The fact that people confuse the two is a legitimate public education problem. But it doesn't change what they actually are, or how medical professionals use the word.
> But it's a secondary effect, otherwise we would call more things "vaccines", as we know that for example "exercise helps with immune response".
It is the effect. I think everybody understands the difference between taking care of yourself and receiving a medical preparation that stimulates your immune system against a specific disease.
The CDC changed the definition of vaccine on Sept 2, 2021 and removed the reference to immunity.
[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20210901163633/https://www.cdc.g...
[2] https://web.archive.org/web/20210902194040/https://www.cdc.g...
And just to preempt your question, every news source reachable via Google says the change has nothing to do with COVID or the effectiveness of the COVID vaccine.
> every news source reachable via Google says the change has nothing to do with COVID or the effectiveness of the COVID vaccine.
Either way, it doesn't matter: the website in question is a public information page, not a medical reference. The CDC updated it because it was incorrect, and the timing of their update makes perfect sense given the public's confusion (and predation around that confusion).
You’re correct [1]. The vaccine mainly aims to reduce the frequency and intensity of illness.
At no point did I say that you should not get vaccinated, you are putting words in my mouth. I said that the original intention of vaccines was to prevent infection. It is still the main way that most people conceptualizes vaccines too.