Infectious Disease Expert Explains Why A COVID Outbreak In Baseball Shows Vaccines Work

By Adam Roberts – 5/18/2021

Brewers’ pitcher Corbin Burnes recently missed some time due to a COVID situation, and while it was certainly unfortunate to lose maybe the best pitcher in baseball at the moment, at least the Brewers avoided a case like with the Yankees. Nine members of that organization tested positive for the virus after receiving their vaccine series.

While that may seem concerning, one medical expert notes that this shows that the vaccines are actually doing their job. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Charles Lerner says they all show few symptoms, and also says it’s highly unlikely that the players gave it to each other. Studies, he says, show people who get vaccinated don’t share as much of the virus in their bodily fluids.

“It turns out that they do multiple tests on their players” Lerner said in an interview for Metro News. “and one had trivial symptoms and the others were all asymptomatic. If you do get the infection and are asymptomatic, you shed very little virus…[it’s] very hard to infect other people.”

Lerner says the Yankees situation shows why more people need to get vaccinated.

“When you’re immunized, the likelihood of your having severe disease is markedly reduced to almost nothing”.

You can set up a vaccine appointment in your neighborhood at dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19.