The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

OUT of more than 15,000 people who received their first shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, only “a few” people ended up contracting COVID-19 after getting vaccinated, according to the country’s top infectious disease expert.

Dr Nikkiah Forbes said while it’s not common for people to contract the virus after getting vaccinated, it’s also not “impossible” as the vaccine does not offer complete protection.

Still, Dr Forbes insisted that this does not take away from its effectiveness and again reminded Bahamians that the benefits of taking the vaccine far outweigh the risks.

“There are a few cases, not very many, maybe in the single digits that got the vaccine and got COVID of all the tens of thousands of people who got vaccinated... and perhaps the CMO (the chief medical officer) is the best to speak to that,” she said in an interview with The Tribune.

“But, I know globally, at the last report, I heard that there were just a little over 2,000 people who did get breakthrough COVID — that’s what we call it — despite being vaccinated. But, out of many, many million people who got the vaccine, it’s not very common.

“But, it’s not impossible and let me just reiterate, that vaccines are very effective to prevent COVID-19 but there is still a small chance that you could get COVID-19 after getting vaccinated especially as no one in The Bahamas is fully vaccinated yet and so it’s a combination strategy.”

Dr Forbes, the director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Ministry of Health, said this is also why it’s so important for Bahamians to not let their guards down and become relaxed with the current COVID rules.

She also sought to shut down claims that the vaccines are giving people COVID-19 after concerns were raised on social media over the issue last week.

She said: “The vaccines do not give you COVID-19. There is no live SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the vaccine. But when you are vaccinated, you could still get COVID and you could have some additional protection. However, if you let your guards down, you can get COVID in the days after you get vaccinated and certainly until you’re fully vaccinated, you’re not fully protected and you should still follow all of the health measures.”

Data released by Astrazeneca company last month found two doses of the jab to be 76 percent effective against the virus following test trials conducted in the US. The company also said that test trial results confirmed that the vaccine is “highly effective in adults” and it remains 100 percent effective in preventing severe disease.

The country received its first batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March, which were 20,000 doses donated by the Indian government. An additional 32,500 doses landed in the country earlier this month through the World Health Organisation’s COVAX facility—the global vaccine programme.

The remaining doses are expected to arrive before the end of May.

Since the launch of the government’s vaccination programme, more than 15,000 people have received their first shot to date.

Health officials have said there have been no reports to the Ministry of Health of allergic reactions, blood clots, post-vaccination hospitalisations or deaths associated with receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination in The Bahamas.