'Can I Spread COVID After Getting The Vaccine?': Dr. Mallika Marshall Answers Your Questions
BOSTON (CBS) – Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your coronavirus vaccine-related medical questions. If you have a question for Dr. Mallika, email her or message her on Facebook or Twitter.
Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.
Both Sheila and Coleen wonder if people with compromised immune systems can get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Pfizer vaccine was not specifically tested in people with weakened immune systems, but the hope is that it will be effective in this population. People with compromised immune systems are generally told not to get vaccines made with live virus, but there are a number of vaccines in the pipeline which are not made with live virus, including the Pfizer vaccine.
A viewer in Whitman writes, "I am very concerned about being 'left out' of the early distribution of the COVID vaccine. I am a 66-year-old male with acute asthma. How will individuals like myself be identified?"
According to the MA Department of Public Health, you would fall into Phase 2 of distribution, expected to occur between February and March. That includes people with risk factors for severe COVID-19 and those over 65. The vaccine will be made available at public vaccine clinics and eventually at local pharmacies, PCP offices, and local health departments. Stay tuned.
Johnny writes, "If someone were to have COVID without knowing and were to receive the vaccine, what impact would that have on the person?"
That will undoubtedly occur as the vaccine rolls out, where people are vaccinated who are unknowingly already infected. But it's not likely to cause any harm. In fact, even if you have had COVID-19, we don't know how long immunity lasts and you should probably still get vaccinated.
Lorraine in Boston asks, "If I get the vaccine and get COVID but am not sick, can I still spread the virus?"
If you get vaccinated, it's not clear if you can still get infected, not develop symptoms, and possibly pass the virus on to others. That's why even if you get vaccinated, you still need to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
Another viewer asks, "If I get vaccinated but many Americans are not am I protected against the coronavirus?"
The Pfizer vaccine appears to be 95% effective at preventing COVID-19 disease. Not 100%, but pretty close. However, to get back to some sense of normalcy where we can ditch the masks and social distancing, experts say 75-80% of the population would need to be vaccinated. So please, when it's your turn to get immunized, do it for yourself, your loved ones and your community.