There have been at least 15 cases of Covid-19 infection amongst fully vaccinated individuals in Telangana. The individuals had completed both doses of the vaccine and still contracted the virus.
However, the infection stayed between mild to moderate levels among all the patients, senior health officials said. “As per our information, at least 15 such cases have been reported among individuals who got vaccinated with both doses. There is nothing to panic about this as this is a fairly normal occurrence,” explained Dr G Srinivasa Rao, Director of Public Health.
He explains that both the vaccines in India — Covishield and Covaxin offer an efficacy of 71-81%, implying that the rest 20-30% could still get infected even after the vaccination. “No vaccine available
in India has 100% efficacy, which means a small proportion will still get infected with Covid-19. However, this must not stop one from taking the vaccine as the benefits are far more,” he said.
When someone is infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the body is able to retain the memory of the pathogens and create antibodies to fight the microbes if infected with them again, like in the case of measles, and chickenpox.
This phenomenon is especially important when it comes to creating vaccines against the illness.
But in August 2020, the first COVID reinfection was reported. The increase in the number of cases of reinfections popping up also coincided with the new mutated variants being traced.
If COVID reinfections are possible, it could prove to be a major setback to our collective fight against the pandemic. Apart from posing a major roadblock to our vaccination efforts, it would also mean that recovered patients continue to spread the virus.
The ICMR study also points to certain cases of reinfection being more severe than the first one, saying “a large proportion of participants were asymptomatic and had higher CT value during first episode.”
This means that the severity of the reinfection will depend on your body’s preparedness to fight off the pathogens. A mild or asymptomatic infection may not lead to your body creating enough antibodies, or developing the memory required to fight off the virus more efficiently the second time around.
Doctors across the globe however state that even if the vaccine may not prevent infection, the immune response it starts off in the body helps prevent a severe Covid infection. This implies that the patient may not require oxygen and other medical intervention. “For instance, we had an 80-year-old patient who tested Covid-positive after the vaccine. But the virus had no impact on his lungs and recovery was quick,” explained Dr Rao.
The health chief further advises that in case citizens contract Covid-19 after the first dose, it is best they complete the 14-day isolation and take the next shot in the designated time-frame. “After the 14-day isolation, they must take the second dose in 4-5 weeks in case of Covaxin and within 6-8 weeks for Covishield,” he said. #KhabarLive #hydnews
