The first coronavirus case in the United States was reported on January 21, 2020. While life, as we knew it, drastically changed over the course of a couple of months, scientists and researchers came together to create a vaccine in under a year – a record for vaccination development. Many have wondered if you can still get covid after receiving the vaccine so let’s look at the latest news concerning coronavirus vaccines and their effectiveness.
Yes, people who are fully vaccinated can still get covid-19. Because coronavirus is still a somewhat new disease and other variants are being discovered, the overall efficacy of the vaccine is based on a number of changing factors. Before looking at these factors, it’s important to remember that the coronavirus continues to be the number one disease affecting our public’s health. Vaccines are not developed to be 100% effective at preventing disease, but they are crucial in increasing immunity in our area.
New COVID-19 Strands
The new variants of the covid-19 virus is an important factor that may be affecting the efficacy of the vaccines. Variants, or strands, are the different mutations that result from changes in a virus. While it is natural for new variants to emerge and disappear, there is also a chance for new viruses to persist and spread at a rapid pace. Data shows that current vaccines offer protection against these variants, but there is still a lot left to learn about these different strands.
Breakthrough Cases
Recently, there have been a number of cases reported of vaccinated people who have tested positive for coronavirus in weeks after. These cases, though rare, are being described as “breakthrough cases”.
In Florida, a woman received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and then started exhibiting coronavirus symptoms seven weeks later. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident. In mid-April, the CDC reported that out of 77 million individuals, nearly 5,800 patients reported having breakthrough infections.
How to Live After the Vaccine
While it may be tempting to return to “normal” after receiving the vaccine, it’s important to not let your guard down. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it takes about two weeks for the body to build up enough protection after receiving the vaccine.
Until a majority of people receive the vaccine and the threat of reinfection has subsided, it’s important to continue to take safety precautions.
If you’ve been vaccinated, here are a couple of things you can do to protect yourself and your family:
- Continue to wear a mask and stay a safe distance away from others in crowded areas or when around unvaccinated people.
- Avoid medium or large-sized gatherings.
- Watch out for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you’ve been around someone who is sick. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested and stay home and away from others.
- Continue to follow the guidance at your workplace.
For a list of the full post-vaccine preventative measures to take, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html
Schedule Your Free COVID Vaccine
Our team is committed to providing the best quality care at an affordable price. Currently, our clinic is excited to offer free COVID-19 vaccines for all ages. If you haven’t received your vaccine yet, we encourage you to schedule an appointment as soon as you can. Our Pasadena clinic is open Monday-Friday and has a number of different time slots available.
Contact our office today to schedule an appointment for your covid vaccine.
