[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters (Jeju) Reporter Park Chang-won] The first case of so-called 'breakthrough infection,' where a person tests positive for COVID-19 after completing two doses of the vaccine, has occurred in Jeju.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced on the 31st that a person in their 70s, A (No. 982), who tested positive for COVID-19 on the 26th, was confirmed to have completed vaccination.
The confirmed case A, identified as a breakthrough infection, completed the first Pfizer dose on April 5 and the second dose on April 26.
However, after multiple contacts with family members who were COVID-19 positive cases No. 964 and No. 975 in the Jeju area until the 20th and 24th, A was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Meanwhile, when A (No. 982) in their 70s was diagnosed positive on the 26th, no COVID-19 related symptoms were observed.
It had been 30 days since the second dose, and the two-week immunity formation period had also passed, yet infection was confirmed.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines breakthrough infection as the detection of the COVID-19 viral genome or antigen 14 days after receiving the recommended number of vaccine doses.
Im Tae-bong, head of the Jeju COVID-19 Response Task Force, stated, “There is no need to have anxiety or fear about vaccines due to this rare special case. The speed of antibody formation can vary individually depending on immunity, and although the rate is low, there is still a possibility of COVID-19 infection even after completing vaccination. Therefore, making it a habit to follow basic quarantine rules anytime and anywhere is the most effective way to prevent COVID-19.”
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