It’s safer but not as much as not smoking.

Same way chemo cures some cancer but is pretty damaging overall. But when the alternative is death, anything else is better.

PSA: Don’t start vaping if you don’t smoke, it’s lame. Don’t start smoking either, you’ll regret the health issues, earlier death, and money wasted.

Smoking 10 cigarettes a day is objectively healthier than smoking 20 a day. I'm sure any doctor would recommend the former to someone having the latter as a habit if that would be a successful step to stopping altogether. It doesn't make it something you would recommend for a healthy lifestyle.