The scenario is not unexpected. This is how it could have happened.
The story of an emergency nurse who tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving the vaccine recalls that hand washing, social distancing and masks will still be crucial in 2021.
Matthew W., a 45-year-old nurse in San Diego, received the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 18 and told KGTV, a subsidiary of ABC News San Diego, that the only side effect of the vaccine he experienced was the arm pain.
Six days later, after working one shift at the COVID-19 unit, Matthew had chills, muscle aches, and fatigue. A hospital driving test confirmed that it was positive for COVID-19.
The scenario is not unexpected, Dr. Christian Ramers, an infectious disease specialist at San Diego Family Health Centers, told KGTV.
Patients do not immediately develop protection against COVID-19 after vaccination.
“We know from clinical trials of the vaccine that it will take about ten or ten days to start developing vaccine protection,” Ramers said.
Even after these 10 to 14 days, patients still need a second dose of vaccine for complete protection. “This first dose we believe provides you with around 50% and you need this second dose to get to 95%,” Ramers added.
Another possibility: since the incubation period of COVID-19 can be up to 14 days, it is also possible that Matthew was infected before receiving the vaccine on December 18th.
Both potential scenarios remind us that vaccines are not a panacea. Instead, experts say, stopping the pandemic will take time and continue to adhere to fundamental public health practices such as social distancing, masks and hand washing.
“You feel like health professionals are very optimistic about it being the beginning of the end, but it will be a slow process, from weeks to months as we roll out the vaccine,” Ramers said.
What you need to know about coronavirus:
Tune in to ABC at 1 pm ET and ABC News Live at 4 pm ET every day of the week for special coronavirus coverage with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context, and analysis.