A 21-year-old, Indian national in Singapore tested positive for Covid-19 even after receiving both doses of the coronavirus vaccine shots.
It has been reported that he is among the 36 new coronavirus cases reported in Singapore in the last 24 hours, according to a media report on Saturday.
The TODAY newspaper reported that the Indian did not have any symptoms and was detected when he was tested on April 19 as part of the Health Ministry’s routine testing of foreign workers.
The man went for the test and tested positive for COVID-19 and was quarantined immediately. The daily reported that an individual test was done on April 20 and he was confirmed to have the coronavirus on April 21.
The Ministry of Health said, “His earlier tests (routine testing) the last conducted on April 12 were all negative for COVID-19. His serology test result (for past infection) has come back positive.” The man had received his first dose of vaccine on March 11 and the second on April 1.
The ministry said that “complete vaccination against the virus may have resulted in lack of symptoms and positive serology test results.”
However, the COVID-19 vaccine is effective in averting symptomatic disease for the vast majority of those vaccinated but at the same time, it is also seen that it is possible for vaccinated individuals to get infected.
It further said that the research is required to determine if the vaccination will also prevent onward transmission of the infection.
In total, 36 imported cases of COVID-19 were registered on Friday and all have been placed on ’stay-home notices’ upon their arrival here.
The total number of infections in Singapore now stands at 60,943. Of these, 60,613 people have fully recovered and discharged from care facilities and hospitals, including 10 patients on Friday.