Representative Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) Tested positive for COVID-19, but remains asymptomatic after receiving a second dose of coronavirus vaccine, his office said Friday.
Why does it matter: Lynch’s case underscores the importance of continuing social distance and wearing a face mask even after vaccination.
What are they saying: Lynch received a positive test result on Friday “after a staff member in the Boston MP’s office gave positive results earlier in the week,” Lynch spokeswoman Molly Rose Tarpey said in a statement, according to Boston Globe.
- “Congressman Lynch received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and subsequently received a negative COVID-19 test before attending President Biden’s inauguration,” she added.
- Lynch “remains asymptomatic and feels good,” but will continue to “self-quarantine and vote by proxy in Congress in the coming weeks.”
- It is unclear when Lynch received each dose of vaccine.
- Lynch’s office did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
The whole picture: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the companies that developed the two vaccines authorized in the US, say their vaccines are about 95% effective in preventing people from getting sick after receiving the second dose of those vaccines.
- “It usually takes a few weeks for the body to create immunity (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19) after vaccination,” notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- “This means that it is possible for a person to become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or even after vaccination and get sick. This is because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection,” he added. CDC.
- It is also not yet clear how effective the vaccine is against infection and transmission, but researchers say it should prevent people from getting sick.
Go deeper: We sell the coronavirus vaccine short