Sole Locally-Transmitted Case on 11 Apr Was Migrant Worker Who Had Been Vaccinated for More Than a Month


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When we hear that someone has gotten vaccinated against COVID-19, we think that they’ve immediately become impervious to the coronavirus, much like how Superman is bulletproof.

But we’re forgetting one very simple fact: none of the vaccines currently in use are 100% effective. 

Even with Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s vaccines—which have an efficacy rate of around 95%—5 in 100 individuals who get the vaccine will not get protection against the coronavirus.

And while we’d like to believe that the vaccine is more effective than that, unfortunately, we recently found evidence to prove just the opposite.

Sole Locally-Transmitted Case on 11 Apr Was Migrant Worker Who Had Been Vaccinated for More Than a Month

20 new COVID-19 infections were reported on Sunday (11 Apr), of whom one was from a dormitory.

The 23-year-old man from India, identified as Case 61822, had already completed his full COVID-19 vaccination regimen more than a month ago.

He works as a lashing specialist employed by Seafront Support Company and resides in a dormitory located at Brani Terminal Avenue.

His infection was detected on 7 Apr, as part of rostered routine testing. The man’s pooled rostered routine testing result came back positive for COVID-19 on 8 Apr and he was immediately isolated. He was asymptomatic.

An individual test was carried out the next day, and the result came back negative. He was conveyed by an ambulance to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

The 23-year-old received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on 25 Jan and the second dose on 17 Feb.

The man’s serology test result has come back positive but, interestingly, the Ministry of Health (MOH) believes that this is likely a current infection.

They explain that while the man contracted COVID-19 long after getting vaccinated, it did prevent him from exhibiting symptoms.

And the antibodies found during the serology test probably came from his vaccination.

“This case is a reminder that it is possible for vaccinated individuals to get infected. But the vaccine is effective in preventing symptomatic disease for the vast majority of those vaccinated,” MOH said.

MOH: “We Cannot Let Our Guard Down”

While MOH said further research is needed to see if vaccination will prevent transmission of the infection, they reminded us to remain cautious and vigilant.

“That is why we cannot afford to let our guard down,” MOH said.


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“Our existing key enablers—safe management measures, testing, and contact tracing—continue to be necessary and effective in helping us to mitigate spread and keep community transmission low.”

All close contacts of the man have been isolated and placed on quarantine, and will be tested at the end of their quarantine period.

Man is First Dormitory Case Since 28 Feb

The 23-year-old man is the first COVID-19 case in a dormitory in six weeks, as the last one was reported on 28 February.

Besides the dormitory resident, 19 other cases were reported on Sunday, all from abroad.

They had all been placed on stay-home notice (SHN) upon arrival.


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For more information about yesterday (11 Apr)’s COVID-19 cases, click here.

Feature Image: AhXiong / Shutterstock.com (Image is for illustration purposes only)