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Can You Get COVID If You Take the Vaccine?

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A 21-year-old MBBS student from Sion Hospital, Mumbai tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, 28 February after he received both doses of the Covishield COVID vaccine.

The student had mild symptoms and underwent a covid test that came as positive reported The Indian Express. On Saturday, he was admitted to Mumbai’s Seven Hills Hospital and his colleagues from his own hospital are under quarantine.

Can you get COVID post the vaccines? Should we be worried? FIT speaks to Dr Shahid Jameel, a virologist and director at Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University.

“Every vaccine has been tested to be effective against disease none have been shown to be efficacious against infection. If after taking two full doses, the student got infected and showed mild symptoms, this is not something to worry about.”
Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist

Dr Jameel explains that the vaccine helps prevent severe infection, “Maybe the student would have gotten a severe infection if he had not taken the vaccine, but instead just got a mild one.”

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The simple fact is that vaccines are not the total solution to the pandemic and should not be seen as such. “This is why we also advise people to keep up their COVID protocol like wearing masks and maintaining hand hygiene even after they get their shots. But this should not deter anyone from getting the jab, don’t panic,” he asserts.

Dr Jameel explains this concept with an example from his own life,

“Take the flu vaccine which is also a killed vaccine. See I have been taking it for roughly 8-10 years, and before if I was infected with the flu, the virus would knock me out for a week, but since the vaccine, I just feel feverish for half a day and then I feel fine.”
Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist

It’s the same logic with the COVID vaccine - it is there to help protect you from severe disease not from getting infected and spreading infection. This means that even if you get the vaccine you can transmit the virus so COVID protocol is a MUST till the pandemic is over.

How Long Post the 2 Vaccines Will My Immunity Develop?

Dr Jameel says that post the second booster shot, it takes “around 7-10 days” to develop your immunity, especially your antibodies.

But he reiterates that this doesn't mean you are completely in the clear. So keep your mask on, practice social distancing and hand hygiene EVEN if you have had your vaccines.

You may be thinking if it is worth it to get the vaccine then, and to this Dr Jameel says, “Vaccines help protect you from severe infection and hospitalisation. I hope this incident is seen as normal and no one panics but understands the vaccine.”

(With inputs from The Indian Express.)

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

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Topics:  COVID   covid vaccine   COVISHIELD 

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