Many people ask: “If I have taken the vaccine, why did I still test positive for COVID-19? Did the vaccine fail, or did the vaccine itself give me COVID?” In this video, Dr. Dipak Viradia, Chest Physician & Intensivist, explains why this happens and why it does not mean the vaccine is useless.
The vaccine cannot give you COVID-19. The vaccines used in India do not contain a live virus that can multiply and cause infection, and they do not turn an RT-PCR or rapid antigen test positive. A positive test after vaccination means the person picked up the virus from someone else.
Protection takes time to build. The body needs about two weeks after each dose to develop immunity, and full protection comes only after completing the recommended doses. If a person gets exposed just before or soon after vaccination, they can still get infected. Sometimes the infection was already present in the body, still in its incubation period, at the time of vaccination.
No vaccine gives 100% protection against infection. The main job of the COVID-19 vaccine is to protect against severe disease, hospitalisation, ICU admission and death. A vaccinated person can still catch the virus, but in most cases the illness is much milder and recovery is faster. These are called breakthrough infections, and they are expected.
New variants and fading immunity. The virus keeps changing, and some variants can partly escape the immunity built by vaccines or a past infection. Protection also reduces gradually over time, which is why booster doses were recommended for some groups.
The bottom line: testing positive after vaccination does not mean the vaccine failed. What matters is that vaccinated people are far less likely to become seriously ill. Vaccinated people should still follow basic precautions when cases are rising, watch for symptoms, check oxygen levels if they fall ill, and consult a doctor if breathlessness develops.
Dr. Dipak Viradia
Chest Physician & Intensivist | Interventional Pulmonologist & ECMO Specialist
Rudrax Chest Clinic, 301, Solaris Royce, Opp. Old RTO, Athwagate, Ring Road, Surat – 395001
Appointment: +91 75676 19985
Website: www.drdipakviradia.com
No. The vaccines do not contain a live virus that can cause infection. A positive test after vaccination means the virus was caught from another person.
You may have been exposed before your body built full immunity, you may already have been carrying the infection when vaccinated, or you may have had a breakthrough infection, since no vaccine gives 100% protection against infection.
No. The vaccine’s main purpose is to prevent severe disease, hospitalisation and death. Most vaccinated people who test positive have mild illness and recover faster.
Protection begins to develop about two weeks after a dose, and full protection is achieved after completing the recommended doses.
No. The vaccine does not make an RT-PCR or rapid antigen test positive. An antibody blood test may show antibodies after vaccination, but that test is not used to diagnose active infection.
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