Breakthrough infections emerge new concern

Experts, however, say they are ‘rare but expected events’ when lakhs are vaccinated

The increasing number of COVID-19 reinfections following natural infections and vaccine “breakthrough” infections amongst fully vaccinated health-care workers in Kerala is emerging as a new concern even as experts reiterate that these are “rare but expected events” when lakhs are vaccinated. They point out that immune escape variants of SARS-CoV2 can also contribute to an increase in reinfections and potentially have an adverse effect on the efficacy of vaccines, leading to breakthrough infections.