New Delhi: Nearly 44 per cent of the new cases of Covid reported in Kerala over the last week consist of people who have received both doses of the Covid vaccine, the state’s daily health bulletins reveal.
Between 29 October and 4 November, as many as 48,914 people tested positive for Covid in the state.
Of these, 41,202 were eligible to get a vaccine (only those above 18 years of age are eligible for vaccines in India). Of the 41,202, 12,649 — that is nearly 30 per cent — had no history of vaccination.
Of the remaining, 18,023 had received both doses of the vaccine, accounting for 43.7 per cent of people who got Covid in the last seven days.
The data from the state reiterates what is being seen around the world — that the vaccine cannot prevent infection.
Based on the Covid positive data of June, July and August, six per cent of the Covid positive patients had taken a single dose of the vaccine, and 3.6 per cent had taken both doses, the bulletin said.
Over the last week, however, this percentage seems to have increased significantly, with more people who have been vaccinated now catching the disease.
Several studies over the past few months have indicated that the Delta variant, which caused the second wave in India, can evade vaccine-induced antibodies.
The research, however, shows that the vaccine remains effective in preventing severe disease.
A recent study in the The Lancet Infectious Diseases showed that people who have received two vaccine doses against Covid continue to have a risk of getting infected and spreading the Delta variant, especially in household settings.
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Kerala has highest rate of vaccination
Kerala is the state with the highest rate of vaccination. As of 4 November, 95 per cent of the eligible population has been vaccinated with a single dose of vaccine, while 52.5 per cent have received both doses of the vaccine, according to the government data.
The state has vaccinated more than 96 per cent of people aged more than 45 years with a single dose and 66 per cent with double dose.
The state, however, is now seeing active cases rise, with its effective reproduction number (R) rising to over 1 this week. But its case fatality rate, at 0.6 per cent, is still less than half the national average of 1.34 per cent.
The state’s bulletin, along with emerging studies, show that vaccines alone are not enough to curb the spread of the disease. Measures such as masking, social distancing, and avoiding crowding in spaces with low ventilation need to be continued to curb the spread of the virus and prevent new mutations from emerging.
(Edited by Arun Prashanth)
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