COVID-19 vaccination has helped reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. However, vaccination does not provide complete protection against infection, which means vaccinated people can still become infected and develop symptoms.
Understanding the difference between infection, mild illness, and severe disease can help people make informed decisions about their health.
Can Vaccinated People Still Get COVID-19?
Yes. COVID-19 vaccines are not designed to guarantee that a person will never become infected. Their most important benefit is reducing the risk of serious outcomes.
A vaccinated person who becomes infected may experience symptoms such as:
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Runny or blocked nose
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Fever or chills
- Muscle aches
- Loss or change of taste or smell in some cases
Symptoms can vary depending on the circulating virus variant, a person’s age, underlying health, and previous immunity.
Why Can Someone Get Sick After Vaccination?
Vaccines train the immune system to recognize and respond to a virus. Over time, immunity can change, and protection against infection may decrease. New variants can also differ from the virus strains used to develop earlier vaccines.
Despite this, vaccination can continue to provide important protection against severe disease.
Does Getting Sick Mean the Vaccine Did Not Work?
Not necessarily.
A vaccine can be effective even when it does not completely prevent infection. For many infectious diseases, an important goal of vaccination is to reduce the severity and complications of illness.
For COVID-19, vaccinated people can still become infected, but vaccination has been associated with a lower risk of severe outcomes compared with being unvaccinated, particularly among people at higher risk.
What Should You Do If You Develop Symptoms?
If you develop symptoms that could be COVID-19, consider testing according to current local health guidance, particularly if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or are at increased risk of severe illness.
People who are at higher risk may benefit from early medical evaluation because some COVID-19 treatments work best when started soon after symptoms begin.
Seek urgent medical attention for serious symptoms such as significant difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, new confusion, inability to stay awake, or other signs of a medical emergency.
The Bottom Line
Being vaccinated does not mean a person can never get COVID-19 or another respiratory infection. Vaccination is primarily an important tool for reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes.
If you become sick after vaccination, the illness should be evaluated based on your symptoms and individual circumstances rather than assuming that vaccination is the cause.