A 45-year-old nurse in California tested positive for COVID-19 more than a week after receiving the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, according to a report from our ABC News partners on Tuesday.
Matthew W., a nurse who works at two different local hospitals, shared in a Facebook post that he received the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 18. He said his arm was sore for a day but he experienced no other side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine.
But six days later, on Christmas Eve, he fell ill after working a shift in a COVID-19 ward. He developed chills followed by muscle aches and fatigue, suggesting a possible breakthrough infection from the COVID-19 vaccine. The next day, Matthew went to the hospital’s drive-through testing center and tested positive for COVID-19, highlighting the possibility of positive vaccine tests after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Commenting on the situation, Christian Lammers, an infectious disease specialist at Family Health Center in San Diego, said such cases are not unexpected. “We know from COVID-19 vaccine efficacy studies that it takes about 10 to 14 days for the vaccine to establish protection,” Lammers explained. He further noted that “the first dose is thought to be about 50% protective, and a second dose is needed to achieve a 95% level of complete protection,” highlighting the nature of COVID-19 breakthrough cases after vaccination.
