SARS-CoV-2 infection after vaccination among healthcare workers at a tertiary care center

Background: In India, COVID-19 vaccination drive started from January 2021 among healthcare workers (HCWs) as they are at increased risk of exposure. However, despite vaccination, cases of COVID-19 infection have been reported among vaccinated HCWs which raises the concern about safety and efficacy of these vaccines. There are very few studies on postvaccination COVID infection in HCWs who become infected and remain at risk for further transmission. Hence, this study was conducted with an aim to determine the proportion of COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers after receiving either a single or both the doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Objectives: To identify the factors associated with postvaccination COVID infection To assess the severity of infection Material and Methods: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center among HCWs who tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving either one or both doses of the vaccine. Results: The proportion of postvaccination COVID-19 infection among HCWs was 40.15%. Majority of infected individuals (41.6%) were between 21 and 30 years of age. Among all the HCWs, more than half were doctors followed by nursing staff and supportive staff and among doctors, the majority were junior residents (44.3%). There was a statistically significant association between education, duration of vaccination, symptomatology, behavioral practices, and COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: The majority of postvaccination COVID infections observed in HCWs are mild in nature which emphasizes the protective role of COVID vaccination in reducing the disease severity along with maintaining adherence to the behavioral practices.