NYC man 'glad' to be vaccinated gets COVID weeks after shot
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Matthew Sambolin, 39, of Brooklyn said he decided to get tested exactly two weeks after he got Johnson and Johson vaccine, after he was exposed to someone with COVID. He tested positive.
Sambolin said he was initially "shocked" by the positive results, saying "I figured my risk was minimal." Sambolin said Tuesday he only has cold-like symptoms and still thinks everyone should get vaccinated when they can.
"I'm glad I got vaccinated, regardless," Sambolin said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 66.3% effective in clinical trials, with people having the most protection two weeks after receiving the shot.
The three vaccines currently on the U.S. market—Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson—never promised a 100% shield against getting the virus. But the shots are extremely vital on the road toward normalcy because they pretty much universally prevent death.
“If we can keep people out of the ICU and they just get a milder case, that actually lowers the mortality,” said Dr. Laila Woc-Colburn, infectious disease specialist with Emory University.