NEW DELHI: In a strong validation of the utility of vaccines in combating Covid 19, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday said only 2-4 per 10,000 “breakthrough” infections were noted in people who were vaccinated against the disease.
ICMR director Balram Bhargava underlined the importance of vaccination and said the data on infections in those who were fully vaccinated indicated that a very small percentage of people contracted the disease.
So far, .04% people have tested positive after the second dose of Covaxin and .03% after the second dose of Covishield. Experts and doctors continue to insist that precautions like sanitisation and use of masks should not be abandoned even after vaccination.
Studies have shown lesser virulence and mortality among vaccinated people. Some protection is evident even after the first dose though completion of the vaccination is important.
“This too is mostly among health and frontline workers who were vaccinated on priority but have occupational exposure and because of the intense second wave which is likely to have contributed,” Bhargava said. The data is encouraging and should go a long way in dispelling vaccine hesitancy that continues to pose hurdles to the vaccination drive. The data reflects a robust performance for both vaccines being used in India.
So far, over 1.1 crore doses of Covaxin and 11.6 crore doses of Covishield have been administered. Among those who received Covaxin, 695 tested positive after the second dose and in the case of Covishield, 5,014 tested positive.
“These vaccines reduce severe infection and death. They also reduce chances of infection but it is still possible to get the disease. The highly transmissible second wave may have contributed to these numbers,” Bhargava said.
