What are the Chances of Getting COVID After Being Fully Vaccinated?
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There are several countries across the world that have developed vaccines against deadly Coronavirus after undergoing extensive human trials. Although the COVID-19 vaccines are highly-effective, yet there still lies a small percentage of chance, wherein individuals who are fully vaccinated may still get COVID-19, if they get exposed to the virus that is responsible for it. These are commonly known as ‘vaccine breakthrough cases’.
COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections
First off, it is important to understand that a breakthrough infection is a case of illness in which a vaccinated person gets sick from the same illness that the vaccine is meant to prevent. Various large scale clinical studies have found that Coronavirus vaccinations have helped various people in preventing the chances of getting sick from the disease. Although these vaccines are potent yet it also stands true that there are no vaccines that ensure protection from disease 100% of the time as there are reported cases of breakthrough for any kind of vaccine. With a 90% or higher effectiveness rate, still a small section of individuals, even after being fully vaccinated, can still get sick, hospitalized or can even die due to COVID-19 disease. A breakthrough infection is indicative of the fact that a person who has received the vaccine has had a lower immune response. However, most of these infections are asymptomatic or mild.
Reasons Why Fully Vaccinated Individuals May Get Coronavirus
There is a possibility that an individual can get infected just prior to or post vaccination. In India, amongst the 3 coronavirus vaccines that have been granted approval by the government, Covishield vaccine is 70% effective in offering protection against getting infected by COVID-19 disease, Covaxin is 78% effective and Sputnik V vaccine( Russia) is 92% effective.
Moreover, generally it takes around 2 weeks for the human body to develop protection against the virus after receiving the vaccine, so an individual can possibly fall sick, in case sufficient time has not been provided to the vaccine to build protection against the disease.
Also, there could potentially be other reasons for getting tested positive for COVID-19 even after receiving the vaccine. In case, the individual has been exposed to coronavirus sometime before they received their vaccination shot, the symptoms could show up next. Although, it may seem as if the individual has contracted the disease after getting vaccinated, however, the truth is that the individual got infected way before receiving the vaccine.
Must Read: Documents You Need Before Going For COVID-19 Vaccination
What Needs To Be Done To Prevent Infection From COVID-19 Before or After Receiving the Vaccine?
Since as per the scientists, there is a risk of getting infected by COVID-19 in the next couple of days after receiving the vaccine shot, it is highly essential to continue following all the COVID precautions such as wearing masks, sanitizing hands oftenly, and maintain proper social distancing.
Before receiving vaccination, in case an individual believes that they have been exposed to the coronavirus, it is recommended that they should undergo the COVID-19 test. In case the test comes out to be positive, the person should seek the advice of your doctor upon how to proceed further.
Take Away
COVID-19 vaccines ensure protection to individuals who are vaccinated against the deadly disease or falling severely ill from the coronavirus disease, including sudden demise. Therefore, it is advisable to receive a vaccine shot as soon as it gets available. However, due to the fact that individuals can still fall ill and potentially spread the coronavirus to others in contact even after getting fully vaccinated, it is imperative for individuals to continue practicing all the safety measures like washing hands, wearing masks, maintaining proper distance from others even after being fully vaccinated.
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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
