The scenario is not unexpected. Here’s how it could have happened.
The story of an emergency nurse who tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving the vaccine is a reminder that hand washing, social distance and masks will continue to be crucial in 2021.
Matthew W., a 45-year-old nurse in San Diego, received the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 18 and told ABC News San Diego affiliate KGTV that the only side effect of the vaccine he experienced was arm pain. .
Six days later, after working a shift in the COVID-19 unit, Matthew had chills, muscle aches and fatigue. A self-confirmed hospital test confirmed that it is positive for COVID-19.
The scenario is not unexpected, Dr. Christian Ramers, a specialist in infectious diseases at the Family Health Centers in San Diego, told KGTV.
Patients do not immediately develop COVID-19 protection after vaccination.
“We know from clinical trials about the vaccine that it will take about 10 to 14 days for you to start developing protection against the vaccine,” Ramers said.
Even after those 10-14 days, patients still need a second dose of vaccine for complete protection. “We think this first dose gives you somewhere around 50% and you need the second dose to get to 95%,” Ramers added.
Another possibility: Because the incubation period for COVID-19 can last up to 14 days, it is also possible that Matthew may have been infected before receiving the vaccine on December 18th.
Both potential scenarios remind us that vaccines are not a panacea. Instead, experts say, extinguishing the pandemic will require time and continued adherence to basic public health practices, such as social distancing, masks and hand washing.
“You hear that health practitioners are very optimistic that this is the beginning of the end, but it will be a slow evolution, weeks to months, as we launch the vaccine,” Ramers said.
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