BHUBANESWAR: COVID-19 vaccines, both Covaxin or Covishield, seem to have fared well in protecting people against different variants of SARS-CoV2 in Odisha.
More than five months after COVID vaccinations were rolled out, only 0.13% people have tested positive post vaccination in the state that had administered a total 1,24,91,502 doses till July 5.
As per the latest statistics released by the government, around 16,960 people were infected after getting vaccinated, of whom 3,303 were breakthrough infections, which implies that the individuals were infected 14 days after their second dose. Twelve persons have succumbed to the disease after taking two doses.
As many as 1,00,43,077 people aged 18 years and above have got at least a single dose and 24,48,425 have been fully vaccinated. While only 9,154 have been diagnosed with COVID-19 after the first dose, 7,806 have been found positive after the second dose.
"The proportion of infections among those who have received one dose is around 0.09% and 0.31% among the fully vaccinated. Similarly, only 0.18% breakthrough infections have been reported among 18 lakh beneficiaries who were fully vaccinated till mid-June. This is quite negligible given the
transmissibility of different variants of the virus," said a researcher tasked to study post-vaccination COVID infections in the state.
The maximum of 2527 persons after the second dose and 1890 after the first dose have been infected in Bhubaneswar, where over 62% have been fully vaccinated.
Post-vaccination infections have been reported from all districts with very limited people getting infected in Keonjhar, Bargarh, Nuapada and Koraput. Only two persons were infected after the first dose and 38 after the second dose in Keonjhar, four and 42 in Bargarh, four and 62 in Nuapada and nine and 111 in Koraput.
Among the districts, Khurda topped the chart with the highest number of infections, followed by Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Sambalpur, Puri and Sundargarh.
As many as 1007 were found positive after first dose and 78 after second dose in Khurda and the number of infection was 989 ad 710 in Mayurbhanj, 961 and 431 in Dhenkanal, 736 and 442 in Balasore, 620 and 379 in Sambalpur, 564 and 399 in Puri, 383 in 253 in Sundargarh.
Tribal districts like Nabarangpur (264 and 266), Malkangiri (266 and 267) and Kandhamal (280 and 243) also reported significant post vaccination infections apart from coastal Bhadrak (230 and 82). The number of infections in Ganjam was higher after the second dose (210) than the first dose (42).
"The breakthrough infections were reported more from different parts of the state where the delta variant had spread initially. The data, however, suggests the vaccines worked well. The committee constituted to study breakthrough infections will submit its report next week," said Additional Chief Secretary of Health PK Mohapatra.