Covid19: Only 2.6 lakh cases of 'breakthrough infections' among those vaccinated

Of the total 'Breakthrough infections',1,71,511 people had received only one dose and this fell by 50 per cent to  87,049 cases for those who received both the doses of the vaccine, according to an NDTV report.

The government sources said all the three vaccines - Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V - being used in India's Covid-19 vaccination drive show the same level of protection from 'breakthrough infections'.

In view of the more aggressive variants of the virus in circulation in India and abroad, the government has decided to set up a digital platform to collect data related to 'breakthrough infections' across the country to ensure better response as well as study the efficacy of vaccines against the coronavirus variants, the report said.

Samples are being collected from people reporting 'breakthrough infections' and  genome sequencing is being carried out to confirm virus variants.

Kerala is the leading state in 'breakthrough infections' where over 40,000 such cases have been reported so far, leaving the Centre and state authorities worried.

Kerala's Pathanamthita district has reported more than half of the 40,000 cases, and, of those, only 5,042 of the infections have been reported by people who had received both the doses of the vaccine.

Last month,a pre-print study by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that vaccines reduced the severity, hospitalisation and chances of mortality,  in case of a 'breakthrough infection'.