Vaccine protects from server illness but doesn't prevent local multiplication of viruses: Experts

The number could be more as there is no clear data on how many among the single-dose vaccinated are locals.
Person getting vaccinated. Representational Image  (File Photo | Express)
Person getting vaccinated. Representational Image (File Photo | Express)

BHUBANESWAR:  Even as Bhubaneswar is touted as the first city in the country to have achieved 100% vaccination of its targeted population with at least a single dose, it confoundingly has not yet seen a proportionate drop in new cases.

The Capital city continues to report an average 350 new infections a day.
  
Of the targeted 8,42,220 beneficiaries, 9,80,611 have got their first dose with an achievement of 116%, and 5,34,892 are fully vaccinated covering around 63.5% of the target till Friday.

While 3,89,532 people, aged 45 years and above have got a single shot against the target of 3,25,220, as many as 4,96,271 persons of the estimated 5,17,000 of the 18-44 years age group have been administered one dose.

An analysis of the data revealed, more than 1.3 lakh people from outside Bhubaneswar have got the shots here. The number could be more as there is no clear data on how many among the single-dose vaccinated are local inhabitants. However, 20,729 among the young population are yet to get their first jab.

Sources said the number of beneficiaries of the first dose crossed the targeted population as many from the neighbouring districts like Cuttack, Puri, Nayagarh, and Ganjam managed to get the shots by booking slots online.
  
Virologists and health experts attributed the continuing spread of the virus to two reasons. Firstly, all the people vaccinated with the first dose may not have developed basic protection, and secondly, the complacency shown by local residents, who do not care too hoots about Covid norms.

Head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases (ECD) of ICMR Dr Samiran Panda said those testing positive now could be mostly from the left-out population.

“The antibodies develop 14 days after the second dose. There is no doubt that the vaccine will protect people from severe disease and hospitalisation. People must be experiencing the change in scenario. We should compare the cases of hospitalisation during May-June and now. It would surely be drastically lower now,” he said.

Dr Panda, however, cautioned that the infection can only be reduced by behavioural intervention. “Vaccine is a biological intervention, which has been done. Now it is up to the people, who will have to follow the Covid appropriate behaviour and local administration that needs to strengthen enforcement to see a turnaround in coming days,” he added.

Even as those getting infected in the city now are in the age group of 16 to 85 years and the proportion of the younger population is more, the data on infection post-vaccination has left the health experts perplexed.

As per the recent statistics released by the Health Department, 2527 persons after the second dose and 1890 after the first dose have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bhubaneswar till July 5.

"The data indicates the number of people getting infected post-vaccination is negligible. If the statistics are to be believed, who are the people testing positive now? There must be something we are missing. Either many local residents in the city are yet to get jabs or the number of infections post-vaccination
is not correct. The city administration should develop a mechanism to track infection among the vaccinated people," observed former ICMR consultant and noted microbiologist Dr Tribhuban Mohan Mohapatra.

No relation between rising Covid cases and vaccine

The principal investigator of Covaxin in Bhubaneswar Dr E Venkata Rao said people not vaccinated will catch the infection if they do not follow Covid norms, but the infection detected among the vaccinated people is mostly localised.

“The vaccine cannot prevent local infection. RT-PCR positive means the virus is found in the nasopharyngeal area. If the infection is severe it can affect the lungs. The vaccine protects people from severe illness but it does not prevent local multiplication of viruses. Anyone can contract the disease and transmit it, which is why use of masks, proper sanitisation, and social distancing are
necessary,” he said.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) claimed the demand for online booking of first dose inoculation has gone down prompting the civic body to allow walk-in vaccination that also witnessed low turnout. The left out would be mostly people bed-ridden and pregnant women, who will be administered vaccine after July 15. The BMC has also introduced door-step vaccination for the bed-ridden after the move was successful for senior citizens.

Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh said there is no denying that people from outside the city have got jabs. It is good for the local residents as their area will remain ring-fenced as the people frequenting the city have got the shots, he said.

“There are very few new cases among the older population. The demand for hospitalisation has also reduced drastically. The actual impact of the vaccine can only be gauged after August 15 as the city would have completed 14 days of the second dose by then,” he added.

Among the 45 years and above age group, 3,89,532 have been administered a single dose and 3,01,554 both doses. The number of people getting the first and second doses among the estimated population of 18-44 years is 4,96,271 and 1,71,872 respectively.
 
Similarly, of the targeted 30,773 healthcare workers, 34,925 got one dose and 31,652 got two doses. As many as 59,883 frontline workers have been administered a single dose and 29,814 double-dose of the 25,182 beneficiaries estimated initially. The city has administered a total of 15,15,503 doses of Covaxin so far.

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