As the country gears to expand COVID inoculation drive to all adults starting May 1, government data suggests negligible infections after the first and the second doses of India made COVAXIN and Covishield.
In a briefing, ICMR chief Balram Bhargava said only 2 to 4 in 10,000 breakthrough infections have been recorded in India so far.
Getting infection after vaccination is known as Breakthrough Infection.
¡°The narrative on breakthrough infections is distant from reality. The incidence of breakthrough infection is very low. Even if Covid infection occurs after the first and the second dose of the vaccine, it does not cause severe disease. The risk of infection is there which is why masks are important but the risk of severe infection reduces considerably,¡± VK Paul, Member Health NITI Aayog said.
According to the ICMR data, of the 93,56,436 people who received first doses of COVAXIN, 4,208 (0.04 pc) had breakthrough infection.
The proportion was the same for those who received second doses of COVAXIN (out of 17,37,178 who got the second dose, 695 got Covid).
Furthermore, 10,03,02,745 people received Covishield first dose and of these 17,145 (0.02 pc) got breakthrough infection.
Out of 1,57,32,754 who got the second dose of Covishield, 5,014 reported breakthrough infection.