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Despite what some Colorado hockey writers who shall remain nameless might say (and really, the number of people placing credence in what he said was obscene), many members of the St. Louis Blues elected to get a league-provided COVID-19 shot.
Those shots were more than likely the Johnson & Johnson jabs, because they require just one dose, which means instead of two potential immune reactions, players only have to deal with one. Give it on an off-day that’s followed by an off-day, and the player should be good to go by the next game.
The issue with the J&J shot (and really, I use the term “issue” loosely, because the J&J shot is still crazy effective at preventing severe illness and hospitalization), is that it’s efficacy rate in preventing contraction of COVID-19 was 66.3% in clinical trials. Breakthrough infections can happen with all vaccines under emergency approval right now, but as has been seen with the Yankees and now the Blues, they can happen more commonly with the J&J shot.
I say “and now the Blues,” because like Jake Walman and Nathan Walker, David Perron tested positive and had mild symptoms - after getting the shot.
Perron said he had mild symptons first 3-4 days and that's it. "I don't want to minimize it, but there's a feeling that I've played with worse things before and it's a situation where there's a protocol and obviously the way it can spread around and all that stuff. That's tough."
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) May 25, 2021
Perron on asked about being vaxed: "It's unfortunate and it shows that it's not perfect and I get it, why people can ask. But in the room, I can tell you that we support each individual to make their own decision and it's a tough bounce for the three guys that got it." #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) May 25, 2021
Perron wanted to return in time for a game five, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Since this was the playoffs, the NHL was not entertaining any sort of schedule accommodations like many of the Blues’ opponents had during the regular season.
It just breaks down to bad luck for the Blues, and bad luck for Perron that he had a breakthrough infection. Luckily, the vaccine did a bulk of its job and kept the symptoms to a minimum.