Can you get Covid after having the vaccine? Why Michelle Heaton is urging people to ‘be careful’ after jab

Millions of people in the UK have now received their first Covid vaccine dose, but singer Michelle Heaton has urged people to continue to be careful even after getting a vaccine, after she recently contracted the virus.

But can Covid still be caught and passed on if you’ve had the Covid jab?

Here’s what you need to know.

Can I still catch Covid if I’ve had a vaccine?

Although the Covid vaccine has been shown to reduce the chance of you suffering from the virus, the Government has said people should still “continue to take recommended precautions to avoid infection”.

After receiving the vaccine, it may take a few weeks for your body to build up some protection from the vaccine, and like all medicines, the Government has said that no vaccine is completely effective.

“Some people may still get Covid-19 despite having a vaccination, but this should be less severe,” the Government said.

Can I still pass coronavirus on if I’ve had the jab?

Even if you have had both vaccine doses, the Government has said it’s still not known “how much it will reduce the risk of you passing on the virus,” and it is therefore important to continue following current guidance.

To protect yourself and your family, friends and colleagues, you must still:

- practise social distancing

- wear a face mask

- wash your hands carefully and frequently

- open windows to let fresh air in

- follow the current guidance, which will vary depending on where you live in the UK

‘We must all still be careful’

Former Liberty X star Michelle Heaton received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine last month, but recently told Instagram fans that her and her family have all since contracted Covid-19.

Heaton said that she was told by nurses her situation would have “been a lot worse” if she had not had the first dose of the vaccine, due to her underlying health conditions.

She said her family all found out they had Covid after being randomly tested as part of a medical trial they have been taking part in, and encouraged people to remain careful, even after receiving the jab.

Heaton, 41, wrote on Instagram: “I had the (Pfizer) jab a month ago, proving (not that it doesn’t work) but that we must all still be careful!

“Without my first jab, the NHS nurses I spoke to yesterday said thank God I accepted it, as a person with many underlying health issues I could have been a lot worse, or may be hospitalised – I’m doing OK, enough strength to tell the kids off anyway and they are taking this news so well so proud of them both considering this week we were going to start with friends and bbqs!”

Heaton also praised the NHS and said medics “spent the whole day reassuring us and meticulously covering all grounds of where one of us could have got it, also who could get it from us”.