The CDC had detected over 10,000 breakthrough infections in the U.S. out of 101 million fully vaccinated individuals till April 30.
Highlights
- According to CDC, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have shown efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 infection, symptomatic and severe disease.
- The chances that fully vaccinated people can catch Covid infection are only about 0.01 percent.
- Those who can still catch Covid after getting vaccinated may have a weak immune response or catch new variants that can break the protective layer of the vaccine.
The old advice of Hippocrates that says “medicine cure rarely, comfort mostly, but console always” can be still considered valid as the world fights the deadly Covid-19 virus. Though with the intense hard work and dedication showcased by scientists around the globe, the world finally got a handful of vaccines to ensure the safety of the people from the virus. But it is learned that no vaccine is 100 percent safe. All of them act just as a protective layer from the virus. There are probable chances that even if you have completed two doses of vaccine, you can be caught by the virus. Such cases have been given the term “breakthrough infection”.
Chances that even if you have completed two doses of vaccine, you can catch Covid.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are effective against the SARS-CoV-2 infection, symptomatic and severe disease, and hospitalization with Covid-19. These vaccines also are effective against the new variants including the B.1.1., the UK variant, and the South Africa variant. But the question again arises here, that if the vaccines are effective against the strains, then why are some people still catching the infection?
No 100 percent guarantee
All the vaccines including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford–AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Johnson & Johnson, Convidecia, Sputnik Light, and others do not claim the 100 percent guarantee of protection from the virus. CDC has also claimed that those who catch Covid infection after vaccination have it mild or are asymptomatic and these cases are rare too. There are only about 0.01 percent chances that anyone vaccinated would catch the infection. As mentioned, the vaccines are only there to protect you from developing any severe symptoms of Covid and also less prone to transmit the virus.
You will find more infographics at StatistaThe rarity of breakthrough cases
When the vaccines are into clinical trials, the population size is decided and every process runs according to the plan. But when the vaccine enters the real world and millions of people get the shots on their arms, the picture completely changes. It is called “real world effectiveness”. According to two studies published in March, it was given that breakthrough cases were very rare among fully vaccinated people. The first study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found out that out of 8,121 employees who were fully vaccinated, only 4 tested positive for coronavirus. Another study found that out of 14,990 California health workers, only 7 tested positive right after two weeks of their vaccination.
You will find more infographics at StatistaThe inferences drawn from the studies were that the chances of catching the infection after both doses of the vaccine were only 0.05 percent. And another revelation that came across that these people tested positive during the post-holiday surge of the cases.
The scientists always try that the vaccines should be made not just only to prevent the illness but also can help achieve the “sterilizing immunity”. This means that when people are vaccinated, the shot can block the germs from entering the body and neither will they catch any Covid infection, nor it will be spread further.
The inferences drawn from studies in the US is that the chances of catching the infection after both vaccine doses is only 0.05 percent.
When the pandemic hit the world, the medical sector and the scientists believed that if a person is infected with SARS-CoV-2 then it will protect them from any reinfection. The neutralizing antibodies would act as a protective immune mechanism or correlate with protection. The process of understanding how much durability of immunity that the Covid-10 vaccines are offering and where in the body it is working is still a subject of study for scientists.
Causes of breakthrough infection
There are two types of causes when a fully vaccinated person can still catch Covid-19 infection:
Weak immune system response
Everybody is different and some people do not develop an optimum immune response even after getting vaccinated. There are various reasons for it such as weakening of the immune system because of certain medication as cancer treatment or any genetic difference. Another reason could be the age that already weakens the immune response. In this case, the body is vulnerable to catch any kind of infection and there are chances that a person with a weak immune response can catch Covid even after two doses of vaccination.
New variants
The virus always keeps mutating and the Covid-19 vaccines developed showcase their efficacy against the known variants. But there are high chances that some new variants could escape from the protection that is given to the vaccinated people and that can lead to breakthrough infections.
As of April 30, the CDC has detected over 10,000 breakthrough infections in the U.S. out of 101 million fully vaccinated individuals. And 64 percent of those are infected by the variants of concern. Though breakthrough infection is not contagious as there is 80 to 95 percent protection provided by the vaccine, the people should know that they can still catch Covid even after getting vaccinated and should ensure that Covid appropriate behavior is followed at all times.
The post Here’s How Fully Vaccinated People Can Still Catch Covid appeared first on DKODING.
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