Doctors explain effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine after nurse performs positive tests days after taking first dose

SAN DIEGO, California – In Southern California, a nurse began showing symptoms of COVID-19 six days after receiving the vaccine, and tested positive two days later.

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Experts say that’s because it takes time for the antibodies to develop in your body.
“As a doctor I have no problem putting needles in people, I don’t particularly enjoy having needles put in me,” says Dr. Amy Herold, chief medical officer at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, California.

She took the coronavirus vaccine like thousands of others.

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Regarding what happened to the nurse in San Diego, “I suspect they were exposed just before they got the vaccine and they didn’t show any symptoms yet, or just after,” Herold said.

“It’s a sad coincidence that if someone has already been exposed and vaccinated, the vaccine will not work in a few days. I mean, it will work in a few days, but certainly not in less than a week,” said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado. Stanford.

Doctors told our sister station KGO-TV that the first vaccination shot provides 50% immunity, starting only one week with the Pfizer vaccine and two weeks with the Moderna vaccine. The second dose then brings the immunity to at least 90%.

While neither is 100%, Herold said there is optimism in her hospital and she couldn’t help but smile when she got the vaccine.
“Under my mask, I have the biggest grin I finally get because it feels like hope now and for all of us who care for COVID patients and are stretched to the limit right now,” she said. “Having something to look forward to and to hope for is a very powerful thing.”