What is “Breakthrough Infection”?

What is the News? The union health ministry has said that the breakthrough infection rate is low for both Covaxin and Covishield vaccines.

What is it?

• Breakthrough infection is a case of illness in which a vaccinated individual becomes sick from the same disease for which the vaccine was administered.
• Simply, it occurs when vaccines fail to provide immunity against the pathogen they are designed to target.

Possible Reasons for Breakthrough Infections:

• India’s healthcare and frontline workers were on the priority list for vaccination during the first phase. They were always prone to more occupational exposure to the coronavirus disease.
• The second wave of Covid-19 is highly transmissible, it might also have contributed to the breakthrough infection rates.

India’s Breakthrough Infections Data:

• Covishield: After the first dose two per 10,000 people get reinfected and after the second dose, three per 10,000 people get reinfected.
• Covaxin: After the first dose four per 10,000 people get reinfected after the number remains the same for the second dose too.
• This type of Infections are mostly mild or asymptomatic because the individuals still have partial protection.

Concerns:

• According to a US study, people with no symptoms transmit more than half of all cases. This means that controlling this silent transmission from persons without symptoms is very important for controlling the pandemic.
• Hence, it is very possible that an asymptomatic breakthrough infection can result in the further spread of the disease in the community.
• This happens especially because people may become careless following vaccination and many such infections are asymptomatic.

Source: The Hindu