Lucknow: There is no guarantee that a person will be immune from contracting coronavirus even after receiving two doses of the vaccine.
It has come to light that several doctors have tested positive for COVID-19 despite being administered both doses of the vaccine.
According to an IANS report, a doctor couple in their 60s received two doses of the COVID vaccine last month and resumed private practice at their clinic. To their horror, they have both tested positive for the virus now.
There are others who have met a similar fate, with at least 40 doctors of King George’s Medical University — including Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (retd) Vipin Puri — testing positive for coronavirus, despite most of them having received two doses of the vaccine.
Even more worrying is the fact that this is the second time Vice-Chancellor Puri has been infected by the virus, after a gap of seven months. He got his second jab on March 25.
Clearly, cases of reinfection are also rising.
Explaining the infections among those who had received both doses of the vaccine, HOD and Director, internal medicine, Narayana Hospital (Gurugram) Satish Kaul said that the vaccine provides protection from severity of the disease.
“It saves us from getting chronically sick; it potentially saves us from ICU, ventilator and oxygen support and helps weaken the mechanism of the disease in human body,” IANS quoted Kaul as saying.
“Hence, vaccine beneficiaries are supposed to continue wearing masks, maintain social distancing and observe COVID-appropriate behaviour even after getting vaccinated. Also, after taking the second dose, be extra cautious for at least two weeks and follow all precautionary measures,” he advised.
Infectious diseases specialist at Medanta-The Medicity Gurgaon Neha Gupta echoed Kaul.
“Vaccination doesn’t guarantee 100 per cent immunity against novel coronavirus. However, the vaccine decreases severity of the disease. It’s important to continue COVID-appropriate precautions,” she said.