Representational image (Source: Reuters)

A new study conducted on over 100 healthcare workers has found that the Delta variant of COVID-19, first detected in India, is eight times less sensitive to antibodies generated by vaccines in comparison with the original strain of the virus.

The samples were collected from HCWs at three centres Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, and Northern Railway Central Hospital.

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It found that the B.1.617.2 Delta variant dominates vaccine-breakthrough infections with higher respiratory viral loads compared to non-Delta infections (Ct value of 16.5 versus 19). It also generates greater transmission among the fully vaccinated HCWs.

According to the World Health Organization, the Delta variant of COVID-19 is now present in nearly 100 countries as per conservative estimates. It has warned that in the coming months the highly transmissible strain will become the dominant variant of the coronavirus globally.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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Delta variant of COVID-19 dominates post-vaccine infections, jabs 8 times less effective: Study

The study found that the B.1.617.2 Delta variant dominates vaccine-breakthrough infections with higher respiratory viral loads compared to non-Delta infections.

Representational image (Source: Reuters)

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