Many DA NANG Newspaper readers have recently wondered whether or not someone needs to test for COVID-19 as he/she has been fully vaccinated.

Those who have been fully vaccinated can still contract the coronavirus and infect others, so it is a must-do for them to strictly obey safety measures against COVID-19. Photo: CONG TRUNG

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, vaccine jabs may not provide absolute protection, and the protective effect of each type of vaccines is also different. This means that those who have been fully vaccinated can still contract the virus and infect others.

Vaccines do not provide immediate protection. Whilst partial protection against COVID-19 may be at least 14 days after the first dose, this protection is likely to be short lived. The second dose encourages the body to create stronger protection (immunity) against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. However, it usually takes a month or more after the second dose for the vaccine to have optimal protection and this effectiveness is only about 60-90% depending on the type of vaccine. Because of this, you can still become ill prior to this time and infect others around you.

Those who have received the full 2-dose course have protective antibodies, but not everyone has them. It is confirmed that the full vaccination helps reduce risk of death and heavy complications.

Vaccination is an important proactive preventive measure. Those who have been fully vaccinated against the virus still need to strictly follow other safety measures, especially the 5K recommendations, namely ‘khau trang’ (facemask), ‘khu khuan’ (disinfection), ‘khoang cach’ (distance), ‘khong tu tap’ (no gathering), and ‘khai bao y te’ (health declaration).

Reporting by T.V – Translating by A.T