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Among the nearly one million Israelis vaccinated against the coronavirus so far, some 240 Israelis have been diagnosed with the virus days after receiving the vaccine, Channel 13 News reported Thursday.
The figure underscores the need for people to continue to protect themselves for weeks after being inoculated, as it takes time for the body to develop effective antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
The Pfizer vaccine is not made with the coronavirus itself, which means that there is no possibility that someone could get it from injections. Instead, the vaccine contains a piece of genetic code that trains the immune system to recognize the spiked protein on the surface of the virus and create antibodies to attack if it finds something real.
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But this process takes time, and studies of the vaccine so far have shown that immunity to the virus increases only 8-10 days after the first injection, and then only up to about 50 percent effective.
This is the reason why the second dose of the vaccine, administered 21 days after the first, is critical: it strengthens the immune system’s response to the virus, making it 95% effective and ensuring that immunity lasts. This level of immunity is only reached about a week after the second dose, or 28 days after the first.
Anyone who is infected a few days before receiving the first dose of the vaccine or in the weeks before full effectiveness is reached is still in danger of developing symptoms (even when the vaccine reached its full potential, there is a 5% chance this happening).
A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine, at a vaccination center in Jerusalem, on December 30, 2020 (Noam Revkin Fenton / Flash90).
Another issue to take into account is that studies have not yet determined whether the vaccine allows a person to carry the disease and spread it, without getting sick: it is possible that, while the body would be largely protected from the virus after With vaccination, the mucous layers in the nasal passages, beyond the reach of antibodies, could still harbor multiplying virus particles.
While these would not harm the carrier, as any virus that enters deeper into the body would be quickly destroyed by the trained immune system, they could still be expelled through the nose and mouth and infect others.
The vast majority of Israelis who have received the vaccine have reported no problems since being vaccinated. About one in 1,000 people have reported mild side effects, and only a few dozen sought medical attention after the injection, figures released Wednesday showed.
The most common side effects reported were weakness, dizziness and fever, with 319 cases combined, the ministry said. Five also reported experiencing diarrhea. Another 293 people reported localized symptoms where the injection was given, such as pain, restricted movement, swelling, and redness.
Fourteen people said they had allergic reactions such as itching and swelling of the tongue and throat.
In addition, 26 people suffered what the ministry described as “neurological symptoms,” and 19 complained of a tingling sensation in the arm.
The ministry noted that only 51 people (0.008%) of those who reported experiencing any side effects said they sought medical attention for their symptoms.
According to the public broadcaster Kan, there have been four cases in which people in Israel have died shortly after receiving the vaccine, but the Ministry of Health, as well as family members and doctors, considered that three of the four they weren’t related. to the shots. The fourth case is currently under investigation, an 88-year-old man who had serious pre-existing health problems.
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