COVID-19 BREAKTHROUGH INFECTION AMONG FULLY VACCINATED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WITH OXFORD–ASTRAZENECA COVID 19 VACCINE (COVIDSHIELD) IN A TEACHING HOSPITAL IN NEPAL

Abstract

Background: Innovation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines played an eminent role in disease prevention and progression in COVID-19 pandemic. But no vaccine is perfectly effective resulting in COVID-19 in individuals after completing all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine . This study was aimed to assess COVID-19 breakthrough infection in fully vaccinated health care professionals (HCPs) with Oxford–Astrazeneca COVID 19 vaccine.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 115 HCPs of a teaching hospital in Nepal after taking ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (ref no 077/078/48). Participants had completed vaccination against COVID-19 with two doses of Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (COVIDSHIELD). The study was carried out from 20 May 2022 to 20 July 2022. A simple random sampling was done. A semi-structured questionnaire was self-administered by participants. Descriptive statistics  and chi square test was done. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were calculated.

Results: Out of 115 participants, 20 (17.39%) (10.46%-24.39% at 95% CI) of the participants had COVID-19 breakthrough infection detected. The mean duration of breakthrough infection was 177.2 +/- 169.51 days. Sixteen participants (80.00%) had mild illness and only four (20.00%) had moderate illness. Fever (16, 80.00%) and cough (15, 75.00%) was the most common symptoms. Three patients (15.00%) however required hospital admission.

Conclusions: Our study identified a higher prevalence of COVID-19 breakthrough infections among fully vaccinated HCPs with the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine in contrast to other studies conducted nationally and internationally. However, the severity of the disease and rate of hospitalization was decreased post-vaccination.