"The vaccines (on the U.S. market, at least) were never promoted as providing complete protection from Covid."
Then do not call it a vaccine, because it is not.
I did not take my TBE vaccine, to be greeted a year later by TBE.
Then do not call it a vaccine, because it is not.
I did not take my TBE vaccine, to be greeted a year later by TBE.
Vaccines can be prophylactic (to prevent or ameliorate the effects of a future infection by a natural or "wild" pathogen), or therapeutic (to fight a disease that has already occurred, such as cancer). Some vaccines offer full sterilizing immunity, in which infection is prevented completely.
The key word up there is "ameliorate," which is exactly what the Covid vaccines available in United States promise to do.
Notice anything in particular? While yes, the definition has changed.