THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The fully vaccinated status should not be treated as an immunity passport to lower the guard during Onam celebrations, cautioned health experts. According to them, people who are vaccinated with two doses of vaccine can get infected and also spread the infection to others. The reports on the efficacy of vaccines from other countries suggest that vaccines help in preventing deaths, but it is still possible for transmission.
The cases of fully vaccinated people have been highlighted because they are more likely to lower their guard and get exposed during Onam celebrations, thinking that vaccines would offer them full protection from infection.Health experts have called it the Peltzman Effect, which says that people are more likely to engage in risky behaviour when security measures are mandated. As many as 68.55 lakh people (19%) have been fully vaccinated in the state.
The Onam celebrations last year became a trigger for peaking the first wave when the daily positive cases increased from 2,000 to 11,000. This year, the situation has only worsened with the state reporting highest new positive cases, presence of highly infectious Delta variant and the threat of a third wave looming. The health department, which is expecting a two-fold increase in the number of new positives during Onam, has already issued guidelines to increase the vigil during celebrations.
Dr Amar Fettle, nodal officer for Covid and H1N1, said Covid follows epidemiologic triad for infectious disease. The triad consists of an external agent (virus), a susceptible host (human), and an environment (opportunity for exposure) that brings the host and agent together. “Vaccination will improve the condition of the host. But it will be upturned if the other two factors become overwhelming. So, the people vaccinated should not lower the guard and help the environment to spread the infection,” said Dr Fettle.The state has already started reporting nearly half of the breakthrough infections in the country.
Breakthrough infections are defined as infections in fully vaccinated people.“The vaccines available do not offer 100% immunity against Covid. Mild infections are still possible even after getting two doses and it is also proven that the vaccinated persons can spread the virus. That is why we advise people to follow SMS (Sanitise-Mask-Social distancing) even after vaccination,” said an expert of infectious diseases in a government medical college.According to him, the breakthrough infections reported have been mild and vaccines have helped in reducing the severity of the disease. However, he was quick to add that those with asymptomatic breakthrough infection would it pass on to others. The Delta variant, which is characterised by high infectivity, resulted in cluster formation at homes.