Two of a Bengaluru family test positive for Covid-19 after vaccination

Medical experts pointed out that people are not necessarily safe from Covid-19 until after the second dose is given

Two members of a family, who were recently vaccinated for Covid-19, have tested positive for Covid-19.

Suraj, a builder in the Whitefield area, said that his father, Shivraj (name changed), who is 74-years old, his 71-year-old mother, and 45-year-old sister Reena (name changed), who has comorbidities, were vaccinated with Covishield at a private hospital in Whitefield on March 19.

However, Suraj says that within days, both Shivraj and Reeja had developed symptoms of Covid-19. "As they had cough and fever, plus manifestations of lung infection, the doctors subjected them to an RT-PCR test and both turned out to be positive. My mother, however, was negative for the test, as was I," Suraj told DH.

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Both father and sister have now been admitted at a private hospital in the area. Medical experts who weighed in on the case pointed out that people are not necessarily safe from Covid-19 until after the second dose is given.

According to Dr Arundathi Chandrashekar, Mission Director, NHM, this is only the second such case which has come to the attention of health officials. "It is likely, the person had contracted the disease before vaccination. Immunity only starts building after 15 days," she said.

A better immune response is one of the reasons why the state government recently increased the time gap between doses, explained Dr Sachin D, Consultant – Interventional Pulmonology, Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road.

"Antibody generation is about 56% four to six weeks after the vaccine. If you stretch the dose to eight to 12 weeks, the scale of antibody generation is between 65% and 81%," he said.