Can you still get COVID-19 after you’ve been vaccinated?

This is something that I’ve been wondering about. I got my second dose of the Moderna vaccine on Saturday. My understanding is that I’m not considered fully vaccinated until 2 weeks after the 2nd shot which would be April 10th.

Here’s some news that addresses my question. A new CDC study out yesterday shows that the “mRNA Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing infections in real-world conditions”.

Testing included “nearly 4,000 health care personal, first responders, and essential workers were tested weekly for the virus that causes COVID-19. Those who were fully vaccinated were 90% less likely to get infected”.

CDC Press Release “Findings from this study complement earlier reports that these two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can reduce both asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections.”

“This study also provided positive news about partial (one-dose) vaccination. The one-dose VE estimate of this study (80 percent) is consistent with other recent VE studies following the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine among health care providers. Studies conducted in the United Kingdom and Israel showed that one dose was about 70 percent and 60 percent effective, respectively, against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The current results provide reassurance that people start to develop protection from the vaccine two weeks after their first dose. The greatest protection was seen among those who had received both recommended doses of the vaccine.”

“These findings should offer hope to the millions of Americans receiving COVID-19 vaccines each day and to those who will have the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated in the weeks ahead,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, said in a statement.

This is really, fantastic news, but I’ll still be masking and distancing for the time being.

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