Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Rep. Stephen Lynch. Photo: Greg Nash/The Hill/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) tested positive for the COVID-19, but remains asymptomatic, after receiving the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine, his office said Friday.
Why it matters: Lynch's case stresses the importance of continuing to social distance and wear a face mask even after getting vaccinated.
What they're saying: Lynch received a positive test result on Friday "after a staff member in the Congressman's Boston office had tested positive earlier in the week," Lynch's spokesperson, Molly Rose Tarpey, said in a statement.
- "Congressman Lynch had received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and subsequently received a negative COVID-19 test prior to attending President Biden's Inauguration," she added.
- Lynch "remains asymptomatic and feels fine," but will continue to "self-quarantine and will vote by proxy in Congress during the coming weeks."
- Tarpey did not immediately respond to a question from Axios about when Lynch received each dose of the vaccine.
The big picture: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the companies that have developed the two vaccines authorized in the U.S., say their vaccines are about 95% effective at preventing people from getting sick after getting the second dose of their respective vaccines.
- "It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19) after vaccination," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.
- "That means it’s possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and still get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection," the CDC adds.
- It is also not yet clear how effective the vaccine is against infection and transmission, but researchers say it should prevent people from getting sick.
Go deeper: We're selling the coronavirus vaccine short