Nurse falls ill with Covid eight days after getting Pfizer’s new vaccine
An emergency room nurse tested positive for coronavirus eight days after receiving the new Pfizer vaccine aimed at preventing serious Covid infections. The medic, named as Matthew W, got his shot in San Diego, California, on December 18, but came down with chills, muscle aches and fatigues on Christmas Eve.
Matthew, who works in Covid wards at two San Diego hospitals, visited a drive-thru testing site on December 26 – and tested positive for the disease. His condition has since improved, although the nurse says he still feels fatigued.
Experts say that Matthew either contracted Covid shortly before receiving his vaccine, or during the 10-14 day incubation it takes the vaccine to start working after being injected. He complained of a minor arm ache after receiving the shot.
Dr Christian Ramers, an infectious disease expert with Family Health Centers of San Diego said: ‘It’s not unexpected at all. If you work through the numbers, this is exactly what we’d expect to happen if someone was exposed.
‘We know from the vaccine clinical trials that it’s going to take about 10 to 14 days for you to start to develop protection from the vaccine.’
Ramers also cited the need to get two injections for Pfizer’s vaccine, explaining that the first shot offers about 50% protection from a serious Covid infection, with the booster shot administered several weeks later bringing it up to 95%.
The expert warned that vaccines – which are slowly being distributed to vulnerable patients and frontline workers – will not bring an immediate end to the pandemic.
He told 10News: ‘You hear heath practitioners being very optimistic about it being the beginning of the end, but it’s going to be a slow roll, weeks to months as we roll out the vaccine.’
Vaccines from Pfizer and rival Moderna offer up to 95% protection from serious Covid infection. Experts say people who receive the vaccines may still be able to catch and pass-on Covid, although they should experience far less severe symptoms if so.
The US has now seen 19.51million Covid cases, and close to 339,000 deaths.
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