Atlanta

Doctors warn people not to let down their guard as they get vaccinated

ATLANTA — Doctors are now warning people who got the first dose of the COVID vaccine to still take precautions.

According to CDC guidelines, people are still asked to wear masks.

“The bottom line for me is I want to live,” said Jarvis Wilson, who battled and eventually beat the coronavirus.

Now he plans to do everything possible to stay virus-free.

“I’m following whatever the CDC guidelines say,” Wilson said.

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Jarvis finally got the COVID-19 vaccine shot last week and said he’s taking no chances.

He plans to keep wearing a mask and keep a safe distance away from people.

“Just because I have the vaccine does not mean that I can take off everything and be like superman because the virus is not going anywhere,” Wilson said.

Channel 2′s Audrey Washington spoke with Dr. Cecil Bennett on Monday about the guidelines. He is the medical director of a primary care center in Newnan.

“I compare it to being in the fourth quarter of a game when we’re up and the game is almost over and that’s really when we need to be the most diligent,” Bennett said.

He said it’s important people still follow COVID safety precautions and infecting others with COVID, even in between doses, is still a possibility.

“Whether it’s the Moderna vaccine or Pfizer vaccine, between doses you’re looking at an effectivity rate of anywhere from 55 percent to 75 percent,” Bennett said. “If they encounter the UK variant or the Brazilian or South African variant there is a possibility of them getting sick but the possibility of getting severe sickness that puts them in hospital is almost zero.”