The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal says it might happen in household settings but at far lower rates than in those who have not been vaccinated yet
People shop in a department store in Melbourne on Friday
Fully vaccinated people can contract and pass on Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in household settings, but at lower rates than unvaccinated people, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. Researchers led by Imperial College London, UK, found that vaccinated people clear the infection more quickly, but the peak viral load among them is similar to that seen in unvaccinated individuals, which may explain why they can still readily pass on the virus at home.
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Medical staff take swab samples to be tested for Covid-19 in Ganzhou District in Zhangye, in China’s northwest Gansu province. Pics/AFP
The researchers noted that most Covid-19 transmission is known to occur in households yet there is limited data on the risk of transmission of the Delta variant from vaccinated people with asymptomatic or mild infections in the community. “Vaccines are critical to controlling the pandemic, as we know they are very effective at preventing serious illness and death from Covid-19,” said Professor Ajit Lalvani of Imperial College London, who co-led the study. “However, our findings show that vaccination alone is not enough to prevent people from being infected with the Delta variant and spreading it in household settings,” Lalvani added.
The researchers noted that the transmission between vaccinated people makes it essential for unvaccinated people to get immunised to protect themselves from acquiring infection and severe Covid-19, especially as more people will be spending time inside in close proximity during the winter months. The study enrolled 621 participants, identified by the UK contact tracing system, between September 2020 and September 2021.
‘5 African nations will hit vax target’
Just five African countries, less than 10 per cent of the continent’s 54 nations, are projected to hit the year-end target of fully vaccinating 40 per cent of their population, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
People line up to be tested for Covid-19 at a hospital in Beijing on Friday. Pic/AFP
UK to remove all nations from red list
Beginning Monday, the United Kingdom will remove the remaining seven countries from its Covid-19 travel ban red list, which will be reviewed every three weeks and revised in case of emerging Covid variant threats, the British government has announced.
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