As COVID-19 continues to rage, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has revealed that Nigerians can be infected again even though they had been vaccinated.
Addressing journalists at a media parley, Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib said Nigerians who have received their COVID-19 vaccinations sometimes experience a “breakthrough infection” because of their symptoms.
According to Shuaib, some vaccinated persons in Nigeria experience milder symptoms compared to those who were unvaccinated.
His words: “If a person gets infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus 14 days after the second shot of the vaccine, it is called a ‘breakthrough infection.’ The two-week window is the time it takes for the body to produce necessary antibodies following a shot of the vaccine.
“A ‘breakthrough infection’ refers to the virus being able to penetrate the protective barrier of antibodies.
“The observation is that in these individuals, the disease is usually milder than those who were unvaccinated. Vaccination prevents one from severe disease, hospitalization, and death.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, October 7, Nigeria recorded 17 deaths from COVID-19 with additional 597 fresh cases reported across 13 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The country’s total infection from the pandemic currently stands at 196,487 while the fatality toll increased to 2,573 from 2,556 reported 24 hours earlier.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a total of 8,755 Nigerians are currently down with the disease nationwide.