30% Population 'Still Prone To Covid': Vaccine Panel Chief Warns Against Gatherings During Festivities

Dr Arora said 30 percent people are still prone to infection, adding they can be infected any time particularly if they are still unvaccinated.

New Delhi: Dr N K Arora, the chairman of Covid-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), has said almost 30,000 to 45,000 daily cases are being reported on an average for last several weeks and added following Covid Appropriate Behaviours is hence absolutely essential and critical, especially with the coming festive season.

Dr Arora said 30 percent people are still prone to infection, adding they can be infected any time particularly if they are still unvaccinated.

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The chairman of Covid-19 Working Group of the NTAGI said the daily cases are reported mostly from Kerala, many north-eastern states, a few districts of Maharashtra and some southern states.

“Almost 30,000 - 45000 daily cases on an average are being reported in our country for last several weeks. This is reported mostly from specific geographic regions, especially Kerala, many North Eastern States and a few districts of Maharashtra and some other southern states,” Dr Arora told DD News when asked will there be a third wave of Covid-19 in India.

“If we follow the genomic analysis of SARS-COV-2 viruses circulating during June, July and August, no new variants have emerged and on the basis of sero-survey conducted during July, the on-going Covid cases represent the susceptible individuals who are not yet immunized; they are affected as part of the last phase of second wave,” he added.

Dr Arora said 66 to 70 percent people were found to be infected in the sero-survey of July.

“Hence any complacency on the part of any of us throughout the country will cost hugely since the 30% people can be infected and many of them can develop severe disease and rarely fatal, like we witnessed during April and May 2021,” he added.

The chairman of Covid-19 Working Group of the NTAGI said the emergence of new mutation around this time can also be a reason for the arrival of a third wave.

Responding to a poser on how effective is the country’s Covid vaccine against the Delta variant and what should be done to prevent a third wave, Dr Arora said the “effectiveness values we see in media mostly refer to the effectiveness against symptomatic disease” and added “it is generally 60-90% for different vaccines”.

“Effectiveness of Covid vaccines can be explained in the following manner: effectiveness in prevention of infection and thus the spread of the virus, effectiveness to prevent symptomatic disease, effectiveness to protect from severe disease or death,” he said.

Dr Arora further said most of the vaccines are not adequately effective in preventing Covid infection, adding it is, therefore, repeatedly emphasized the person can spread Covid infection even after vaccination and need for maintaining Covid appropriate behaviour.

Dr Arora highlighted the most important value of the Covid-19 vaccines is their effectiveness to prevent severe disease, need for hospitalization and death.

“All the vaccines currently available in India and elsewhere are over 90-95% effective for protecting the beneficiary from severe disease and death. This is true for all the variants including the delta virus. Most of the infection occurring in India today is due to Delta virus,” he said.

Pointed out the reasons behind the ICMR removing plasma therapy as part of the treatment guidelines for severe Covid-19 infection, Dr Arora said if someone is infected then there will be generation of antibodies in his/her body along with cell based immunity.

“Antibodies are measurable and can also be called as visible immunity. The cell based immunity can also be termed as invisible immunity and as important as antibodies. These immunity components prevent disease and severity when such person gets re-infection with Covid-19,” he added.

Dr Arora said that an antibody mixture was recently introduced in the market by a company, but that did not show much benefit.

“This antibody mixture also was based on the principle of plasma therapy. It was observed that if plasma or antibody is given to the patient in first week or early part of infection, then there can be some benefit,” he added.

Dr Arora said a paper published recently mentions that if someone has got natural Covid infection and has recovered then the immunity of that person will protect him for long duration, adding in case if such person also takes the vaccine then “the individual has a double barrelled protection against infection and the disease”.

When asked is there need for booster dose of vaccine for the people, Dr Arora said “the requirement of booster dose in our country cannot be decided on the basis of the situation and decisions taken in western countries”.

“Local evidence based on the studies done in different parts of the country will guide the need for our people. This will be considered in the context when 70% to 80% of the population in our country is already infected,” said Dr Arora.

“Overall a considerate decision will be taken based on the best available scientific evidence with the overall objective to provide optimal protection to our people,” he added.

Dr Arora further said the response of young individuals to any vaccine, including the Covid-19 vaccines is most robust and the vaccines show maximum effectiveness.

“Increasing age and presence of co-morbidities might decrease vaccine effectiveness. For this reason, during the initial trials, elders i.e., those above the age of 60 years are included. Fortunately the Covid-19 vaccines work almost equally in all,” he said when asked the efficacy of vaccine and limitations of an individual’s body should be seen hand in hand or seen differently and does the infection depend on the limitations of an individual’s body or is the efficacy of the vaccine same for everyone.

Highlighting these are important issues as the “seriousness of disease and risk of death in elderly and those with co-morbidities is almost 20-25 times more as compared to younger persons and those without any co-morbidities”, Dr Arora said this was the basis of coming out with vaccine prioritization list of vaccine recipients.

“There are disease conditions which severely affect the body’s immune system e.g., cancer patients on treatment, health conditions requiring steroids. The protective response of vaccines in such individuals can be inadequate and might need another dose of the vaccine or booster dose,” said Dr Arora.

“The NTAGI will be considering these issues while deciding about the need for booster dose of Covid vaccines,” he added.