Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link
Volume 27, Number 6—June 2021
Letter

Postvaccination COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers, Israel

Cite This Article

To the Editor: We read with interest the article by Amit et al. (1), in which the authors discuss postvaccination symptoms as harbinger for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in healthcare workers (HCWs). The authors conclude that in HCWs, SARS-CoV-2infection can overlap with postvaccination symptoms caused by high risk for exposure. We agree with the authors regarding the dilemma posed by physical symptoms after vaccination. However, we emphasize that this situation extends beyond HCWs.

We report a 60-year-old previously healthy man who had isolated, progressively worsening fatigue starting 1 day after receiving a second dose of mRNA-based vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech, https://www.pfizer.com). Reverse transcription PCR of a nasopharyngeal swab sample after fatigue persisted beyond 1 week of vaccination showed a positive result for SARS-CoV-2. The patient later showed development of severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia, requiring admission to an intensive care unit.

HCWs are at a higher risk for exposure and more likely to get tested if symptoms develop after vaccination, as in the study by Amit et al. (1). Fatigue is a common symptom after receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (2). The dilemma associated with persistent postvaccination symptoms is magnified in non-HCWs because of perceived low overall exposure risk. A watch-and-wait strategy with false reassurances caused by postvaccination status in these patients might delay PCR testing, leading to further spread of the virus in the community (D.A. Swan et al., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, pers. comm., 2021 Mar 5). Thus, knowing when and whom to test postvaccination has major public health repercussions.

COVID-19 vaccines are efficacious in reducing transmission of symptomatic COVID-19 (2). Reduction in transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 postvaccination is unclear (3). Vaccinated persons can still transmit the disease even if they are asymptomatic. (4). Testing everyone before and after vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 is not a cost-effective strategy. Being socially responsible is the key to contain the pandemic. Thus, preventive measures such as hand hygiene, use of facemasks, and avoiding social gatherings should be continued irrespective of vaccination status.

Dr. Yousaf is a chief clinical fellow in Internal Medicine at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. His primary research interests are medical education, quality improvement, and clinical research.

Dr. Mushtaq is an internist and chief clinical fellow in gastroenterology and hepatology at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. His primary research interests are medical education and clinical research.

Top

Zohaib YousafComments to Author  and Kamran Mushtaq
Author affiliation: Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; Dresden International University, Dresden, Germany

Top

References

  1. Amit  S, Beni  SA, Biber  A, Grinberg  A, Leshem  E, Regev-Yochay  G. Postvaccination COVID-19 among healthcare workers, Israel. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021;27:12202. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. Polack  FP, Thomas  SJ, Kitchin  N, Absalon  J, Gurtman  A, Lockhart  S, et al.; C4591001 Clinical Trial Group. C4591001 Clinical Trial Group. Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:260315. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. He  X, Lau  EHY, Wu  P, Deng  X, Wang  J, Hao  X, et al. Temporal dynamics in viral shedding and transmissibility of COVID-19. Nat Med. 2020;26:6725. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. Bleier  BS, Ramanathan  M Jr, Lane  AP. COVID-19 vaccines may not prevent nasal SARS-CoV-2 infection and asymptomatic transmission. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021;164:3057. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar

Top

Cite This Article

DOI: 10.3201/eid2706.210410

Related Links

Top

Table of Contents – Volume 27, Number 6—June 2021

EID Search Options
presentation_01 Advanced Article Search – Search articles by author and/or keyword.
presentation_01 Articles by Country Search – Search articles by the topic country.
presentation_01 Article Type Search – Search articles by article type and issue.

Top

Comments

Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

Zohaib Yousaf, Department of Internal Medicine, Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, PO Box 3050, Doha, Qatar

Send To

10000 character(s) remaining.

Top

Page created: March 23, 2021
Page updated: May 18, 2021
Page reviewed: May 18, 2021
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
file_external