Two Covid-19 cases in KP despite administering vaccine

PESHAWAR: Surprisingly, two positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite completion of two shots of the Sinopharm vaccine.

However, Health Department sources claimed that five cases were reported in the province three from Peshawar and two from Abbottabad. But health officials confirmed only two cases in the province.

37 years old healthcare professional Muhammad Asim got his first shot on February 18 and second on March 11, but he was tested positive on March 25. When contacted, Asim said he and his spouse felt symptoms of COVID-19 on March 25, on which they underwent tests and received a positive report the next day. He said he was suffering from fever, pain, cold and sore throat.

The second case is that of the Healthcare Reforms Unit’s Deputy Chief Dr Attaullah. He had taken the first shot of vaccination on February 26 and the second on March 18 but was tested positive on March 26. Dr. Attaullah is 41.

Director-General of Health, KP, Dr Niaz told daily Jang that it would be too early to say why the COVID-19 test came positive despite two shots of vaccination but more research is required. However, they do not yet have any official data of such cases in the province. He said the reason for the positive corona cases has not yet come to the fore despite two shots.

“There could be two reasons for a positive case, the first being the effectiveness of the vaccine and the second being the breakdown of the immune system in the human body. No complaints have been received about the effectiveness of the vaccine from anywhere in the world”, the DG said, adding that the Khyber Medical University has been approached for further research on these individual cases to find out the cause. He said that so far 60,000 people have been vaccinated in the province out of whom 40,000 are health professionals and about 20,000 are elderly people.

Dr Zia-ul-Haq, vice-chancellor of Khyber Medical University, told daily Jang that COVID-19 can be controlled only through vaccines and precautions; there is no other way to be safe from this pandemic. One should understand that it takes at least five weeks from the first injection to make antibodies in the body. The first injection does not produce antibodies. The second injection takes place after three weeks; it needs further two weeks to make antibodies.

"Every human being has a different time to make antibodies. Some people have stronger immune systems, so they make antibodies faster while some people have a very weak immune system that is not affected by two injections. We have to wait at least two weeks after the second injection,” he maintained.

He said some people do not take precautions despite the first injection, which puts them at risk of the COVID-19 attack. Therefore, despite the vaccine, everyone needs to be careful, although two people who have been vaccinated are not at risk from each other. He said one or two cases out of thousands have been reported that is normal.

According to the data of the Health Department, 34,461 healthcare workers have been given the first dose and 18,131 second dose till last Friday. Similarly, 19,356 senior citizens were vaccinated till March 26.