Do not assume you are fully immune once you get your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The medical officer of health for the Thunder Bay District Health Unit Dr. Janet DeMille notes it will not provide you with total protection from the virus.
“The vaccines that we have now require two doses. It’s very good effectiveness after even one dose, but full effectiveness will come after that second dose,” explains DeMille.
And do not get too confident right after getting your shot because according to the health official, “When somebody gets vaccinated it takes a couple of weeks…for that person to mount that immune response that does provide them some protection against this virus.”
Health experts also agree until more is known, fully vaccinated people should continue to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart from other people in other settings.
According to the health unit, just over a third of the eligible population in the district has received at least one dose of vaccine.
