Three Omicron cases in Karnataka had only one dose, two had boosters

KEY STORY

• At least three of the state’s Omicron cases had taken only one dose of a vaccine, while two contracted the virus despite being protected by booster shots.

• Among the single-dosers is the 20-year-old sister and primary contact of a returnee from the United Kingdom, who landed in the city on December 12.

• She developed symptoms of the disease on December 15 and tested positive at a private lab on the same day.

• The BBMP found that the patient had taken only one dose of Covaxin on May 25.

• Her clinical symptoms were nevertheless mild such as a sore throat,” said Dr Thrilok Chandra, special commissioner (BBMP).

• According to Dr Arundhathi Chandrashekar, director, National Health Mission, there are multiple reasons for why people only take one dose, such as experiencing an adverse effect after the first dose or having suffered a Covid-19 infection which would have interrupted the second dose.

• Health officers who checked the medical records of the case found no previous infection.

• “It is possible that she may have had a prior infection and not reported this to avoid stigma,” added another BBMP officer.

• Other single-dosers include a 27-year-old man who arrived in Mangaluru from Ghana on December 16.

• He had taken his first dose of the Moderna vaccine on November 19. The last case is an 18-year-old woman who had one dose of Covishield on September 6. Both were described as not having symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Among two people who had booster doses is a 42-year-old man from Kerala who had finished two doses of Covishield by July 30.

He subsequently took a booster shot on December 11. He arrived from the United Kingdom at Kempegowda International airport on December 17. He was also stated to be asymptomatic.

A 49-year-old woman who travelled to Bengaluru from Denmark on December 17 was found to have had not only two doses of the Prizer vaccine, but also a booster dose of the Moderna vaccine. She was found to be positive on arrival, but without symptoms.

“Boosters provide no guarantee that they will stop a person from contracting Covid-19. Vaccines ultimately reduce the effects of the disease rather than prevent infection,” said D Randeep, Commissioner, Department of Health and Family Welfare.