Vaccine against COVID-19 helps prevent severe illness: AIIMS Director

New Delhi [India], April 21 (ANI): AIIMS Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Wednesday said that COVID-19 vaccine prevents people from getting severe illness though it may not prevent their getting infection.
Addressing issues related to COVID-19 along with Dr Devi Shetty, Chairman, Narayana Health and Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman, Medanta through video conferencing, Dr Guleria said that anti-bodies which are produced because of the vaccine will not allow the virus to further replicate and it will not allow the disease to become more severe and therefore lives will be saved.
"There are a lot of people who are saying what is the point of vaccination because I know a person who got vaccination and even two weeks of vaccination, he got COVID-19. The vaccine prevents you from getting the disease in the form of severe illness, hospitalisation, going into the ICUs, or even dying from COVID-19. It may not prevent you from getting the infection," he said.
"We know that it has good potential in the majority of people. But when you are exposed to a COVID-19 patient, the virus may still come in your nose and throat, it may multiply there for some time. But anti-bodies which have been produced because of the vaccine you have taken will not allow the virus to further replicate and it will not allow the disease to become more severe and therefore you will be saved. But during that time, your RT-PCR test may come positive and you may be infectious to others," he added
Dr Guleria said there is need to use masks and follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour even after vaccination and the vaccine is one weapon in the fight against coronavirus.
"The most important is COVID appropriate behavior. Vaccine is just one weapon that we have. The vaccine will not bring down the pandemic. The number of cases we are having right now has to be brought down by breaking the chain of transmission. This is the virus that spreads from one human to another," he said.
"It is important to understand that even after the vaccine we may have a positive report. It is important to wear a mask even after vaccination. Currently we know that the vaccine does not prevent people from getting the infection. Hopefully, as we go along and more research comes in, we will have better vaccines which will also prevent us from getting the infection and that will bring down the number of cases and break the chain of transmission," he added.
India reported 2,95,041 new COVID-19 cases and 2,023 deaths on Wednesday, a record-high since the pandemic broke out last year. (ANI)