According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) since the inception of the vaccine program in December, more than 57 million vaccine doses have been administered, reaching 12.4% of the total U.S. population. Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which are currently being given in the U.S. are 95% effective against COVID-19. Despite this high level of effectiveness and coverage, many people who have received the vaccine still have questions about antibody development and the implications of being vaccinated. Vaccine recipients are questioning when they can stop following COVID-19 control measures and when they can safely be around family and friends without possibly passing the virus on to anyone.
Can Vaccinated People Spread COVID-19?
Currently, researchers are studying this issue extensively. Although the vaccine studies have demonstrated that a high number of recipients did not become sick with COVID-19, what is unclear is the extent of how much a vaccinated person could possibly spread the virus. For this reason, vaccinated individuals should continue to follow the CDC guidelines which include masking, handwashing, social distancing, and avoiding crowds.
How long will it take to for antibodies to develop?
According to the CDC, the body usually will develop antibodies in a few weeks after the second injection of the vaccine. The body needs time to mount an antibody response. Both vaccines being used, the Pfizer and the Moderna required two injections a few weeks apart. Two doses are needed to boost the body’s immune response. For the Pfizer vaccine, the studies showed the effectiveness at least seven days after the second dose. For the Moderna vaccine, immunity was shown to be achieved at least 14 days after the second dose. What experts are saying is that the COVID-19 vaccines may not protect vaccinated individuals until two weeks after receiving the second injection.
Do vaccinated people need to quarantine if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19?
Recently, on February 11, 2021, information was released from the CDC which explained their updated guidelines stating that people who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, meaning that they have received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, do not need to quarantine if they have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19. Although many recipients of the vaccine were happy about this protocol, there are specific criteria that must be met before this can happen. The vaccinated person must meet all three of the following criteria:
The individual must be fully vaccinated, meaning greater than two weeks should pass since the second dose of a two-dose series or greater than two weeks should pass since the receipt of a single-dose vaccine.
The individual is within three months of receiving the last dose in a series.
The individual has remained without symptoms since the current COVID-19 exposure. An exposed person should always monitor themselves for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days after exposure.
People who do not meet all three of the above criteria should continue to follow the current CDC guidelines for quarantining after exposure to someone with COVID-19. Anyone who has been vaccinated and exposed to COVID-19 and begins to experience symptoms should be clinically evaluated for COVID-19 including testing for the virus. The CDC has stated that these quarantine guidelines based on vaccination may be updated as needed as more information becomes available.
How long does immunity from the vaccine last and when will herd immunity be achieved?
The answer to how long the immunity from the COVID-19 vaccine will last is currently being studied by scientists. In studying natural immunity in people who have had COVID-19, so far researchers have seen groups that have antibodies months after their inital illness. In a recent study of residents in a ski resort town in Austria, a place that had a large COVID-19 outbreak, residents were found to have antibodies eight months after their illness. Scientists are excited about this information since it shows immunity may last longer than was originally thought and this could enhance the development of herd immunity.
Herd immunity occurs when enough people in a community develop immunity to a virus or bacteria, which then prevents illness among the population. According to experts, 70% of the U.S. population needs to have immunity to COVID-19 either by having the disease or being vaccinated to have herd immunity. In a recent article in the WSJ from February 19, Dr. Makary a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health has cited that at this time 55% of Americans have natural immunity to COVID-19. According to the article, current statistics are showing 15% of Americans have been vaccinated, which will also add to the immune group. Based on this information hopefully, the U.S. could experience a low level of infection from COVID-19 in the near future.
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