Are Vaccines Effective in Cases of Coronavirus Reinfection? Experts Explain!

Recent reports and cases of coronavirus have confirmed the fact that there is a possibility of people being re-infect with the novel coronavirus after recovering from the disease the first time. This has given rise to some concerns about the efficacy and effectiveness of the vaccine that are being developed for the disease. 

The vaccine shots are ideally supposed to trigger an immune response in the body thereby protecting the body from any virus attacks. However, the problem is that since the immunity developed does not prevent reinfection, does it also mean that the immunity triggered by the vaccine will not protect the body from any attack. 

Experts have been trying to analyze the strength and longevity of immune response against COVID19. The first case of reinfection was confirmed in Hong Kong earlier this week and has paved way for these questions. 

Reportedly, in cases of natural infection, the strength of immune response is related to the severity of symptoms shown by the patient. This means that people with severe symptoms have shown a stronger immune response but again this does not necessarily mean that the strong immune response stays for a longer period. 

“As of now, it is not known how long the immune response generated by vaccines would last. The human trials of the vaccines are still going on, and this question can be satisfactorily answered only after monitoring the vaccinated volunteers for a long period of time,” The New Indian Express reported.

Shahid Jameel, a virologist, says that this shouldn’t be a concern right now since most of the vaccines that are developed are supposed to be equally effective against all variants of the virus. “Of course, once these vaccines are in use, it is possible that the virus is forced to mutate in new ways because of pressures of natural selection. In that case, the virus many change in a form that these vaccines are unable to block. But that is in future. As of now, this is not a concern,” he told the media.