Vaccinated People Can Contract COVID-19 and Pass it on To Others: Doctors Warn

Kolkata: As people are getting vaccinated, there is a chance that the virus can still infect these people and the inoculated people can pass on the infection to others.

Therefore, experts have warned against any complacency by people after they get their jabs.

One of the mistakes people make is not wearing the mask once they get vaccinated. That is when they are most susceptible. After getting vaccinated, it takes about two weeks in most cases to develop the antibodies.

Dr Aviral Roy, consultant, Critical Care, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata, told NDTV that people basically become an asymptomatic carrier or a mild carrier. Doctors have time and said that vaccines create antibodies in the blood while the virus causes infection in the nose. They have stressed the need for masks and physical distance regardless of one's vaccination status.

There are various theories on why getting the vaccine does not mean one cannot contract COVID-19. Dr Raja Dhar, head of the pulmonology department at CK Birla Hospital in Kolkata, said that the second hypothesis why people contract COVID-19 after getting the first dose is that it produces a mini cytokine storm.

"The vaccine produces a mini cytokine storm. Suppose an asymptomatic carrier and I go take the vaccine and the coronavirus is in the upper airway. The vaccine acts as a booster for an asymptomatic carrier which enhances the fever and other symptoms. There could be credence to this as the time between getting the vaccine and dropping guard post-vaccination could be less," he said.

According to the doctor, the COVID-19 vaccine is given intramuscularly and the protection is primarily in the blood. When the virus enters a person's system, it enters through the nose. The vaccine in its current form does not prevent getting the infection because it is not creating antibodies in the nose.

Dr Roy said that the immune system has local immunity in the nose, mouth, and saliva, which one does not get in the respiratory tract. This immunity does not come with the injectable vaccine. Hence, even if one does contract COVID-19, the antibodies in the blood quickly shut down the infection, and hence the infection is much less.

As per the sources, one dose of COVID-19 prevents people from 50-60% of the infection from becoming severe post two weeks of being vaccinated. Some doctors said it protects people by up to 70-85% from getting a severe infection. The second dose prevents people by almost 95% from being severely infected.

"Taking the vaccine is a no-brainer decision. If you have access to the vaccine and have signed up, you should take the vaccine. The vaccine does not prevent you from getting sick, it prevents you from getting COVID-19. This is a proven fact. Also if you do get sick, the vaccine prevents you from getting the severe disease. Even with one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the likelihood of landing up in the ICU is considerably reduced," said Dr Roy.

After getting vaccinated, people might still get mild diseases like cough, cold, and running nose and it will be like a common cold. But the likelihood of getting pneumonia and landing up in the ICU needing oxygen and a ventilator is reduced even with one dose of the vaccine.

On the other hand, Dr Dhar believes that there are two hypotheses behind people getting infected after getting vaccinated. "The protection you get from the first dose of vaccine is minuscule. However, people perceive that the protection they get from a single dose is significant. So they drop their guard and get COVID-19. That is the most commonly suggested line," Dr Dhar said.

Also Read: Adult Immunisation: 5 Common Vaccine Myths & Facts

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