Can fully vaccinated people catch COVID?
Amid the chaos caused by the Omicron BF.7 subvariant, experts have emphasized on the importance of vaccination, including the precautionary dose, which is said to re-expose a person's immune system to the immunizing antigen, the memory of which - after the previous doses - could have been lost over a period of time.
However, being vaccinated against COVID-19 is not enough. Adhering to precautionary measures, wearing masks, maintaining social distance and following proper hand hygiene can also help keep infections at bay and curb the spread. That said, those who are fully vaccinated still need to keep certain things in mind.
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What it means to be fully vaccinated
The Mayo Clinic defines a person as fully vaccinated if he or she has received the full course of their vaccines, whether that's one dose or two, and two weeks have passed. The healthy body says that a person needs two weeks for their immune system to mount its full response.
When it comes to COVID, there are vaccines such as Covishield and Covaxin in India, or Pfizer and Moderna in the international market that provide two doses, while some other vaccines like Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine are only single doses.
Should fully vaccinated people let their guard down against the new BF.7 Omicron subvariant?
Vaccination is an important step against preventing the spread of the virus and keeping severe COVID infections at bay. However, it does not guarantee complete immunity against the SARs-CoV-2 virus.
Similarly, the BF.7 Omicron, which is a subvariant of COVID's Omicron variant, is a highly transmissible strain of the virus and can surpass both natural and vaccine-induced immunity. That said, irrespective of whether you're vaccinated or not, you must wear your masks, maintain distance and also maintain proper hand hygiene.
What you need to know about breakthrough infections
When a fully vaccinated individual contracts the SARs-COV-2 virus - in recent scenario the BF.7 Omicron - it is known as a breakthrough infection. A large population in and around the world have been vaccinated, however, many breakthrough cases have come to the forefront. It is believed that vaccinated individuals either remain asymptomatic or develop mild to moderate symptoms. In certain cases, depending on the person's age, pre-existing comorbidities, he or she may succumb to the virus. However, the chances are very rare.
Common COVID symptoms in those full vaccinated
A recent ZOE Health study conducted by health science company ZOE and researchers from King’s College London, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard and Stanford University, revealed that COVID-19 symptoms may differ depending on people's vaccination status.
Experts have found that fully vaccinated people are likely to experience sore throat, runny nose, blocked nose, persistent cough, and headache.
People who have had a single jab may develop headache, runny nose, sore throat, sneezing and persistent cough.
Unvaccinated individuals are likely to report headache, sore throat, runny nose, fever and persistent cough.
According to the study authors, "If you’ve been vaccinated and start sneezing a lot without an explanation, you should get a COVID test, especially if you are living or working around people who are at greater risk from the disease."
The role of booster shots
Amid Omicron BF.7 scare, medical experts have come to the fore and said that vaccination is of utmost importance. For someone who has received both the doses of COVID vaccines, doctors have recommended taking a booster or a precautionary dose, depending on when the last vaccine was administered. The objective of the booster dose is to restore vaccine effectiveness, which may have been lost or diminished over time.