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Vaccinated people easily transmit Delta variant in households, UK study finds

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Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A man spends time by the door of his house in a neighborhood in Tondo, Manila, amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta variant on August 12, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/10/28/20210812-covid-elderly-supplemental-kit-manila-gc-2090.jpg"/><figcaption>A man spends time by the door of his house in a neighborhood in Tondo, Manila, amid the outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta variant on August 12, 2021. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>LONDON—The Delta coronavirus variant can transmit easily from vaccinated people to their household contacts, a British study found on Thursday, although contacts were less likely to get infected if they were vaccinated themselves.</p><p>The Imperial College London study illustrates how the highly transmissible Delta variant can spread even in a vaccinated population.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/25/21/philippines-records-first-case-of-b11318-variant">Philippines detects first case of B.1.1.318 variant; 380 more Delta variant cases</a></li></ul><p>The researchers underlined that did not weaken the argument for vaccination as the best way of reducing serious illness from COVID-19 and said booster shots were required.</p><p>They found infections in the vaccinated cleared more quickly, but the peak viral load remained similar to the unvaccinated.</p><p>&quot;By carrying out repeated and frequent sampling from contacts of COVID-19 cases, we found that vaccinated people can contract and pass on infection within households, including to vaccinated household members,&quot; Dr. Anika Singanayagam, co-lead author of the study, said.</p><p>&quot;Our findings provide important insights into... why the Delta variant is continuing to cause high COVID-19 case numbers around the world, even in countries with high vaccination rates.&quot;</p><p>The study, which enrolled 621 participants, found that of 205 household contacts of people with Delta COVID-19 infection, 38% of household contacts who were unvaccinated went on to test positive, compared to 25% of vaccinated contacts.</p><p>Vaccinated contacts who tested positive for COVID-19 on average had received their shots longer ago than those who tested negative, which the authors said was evidence of waning immunity and supported the need for booster shots.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/28/21/covid-delta-subvariant-not-yet-in-philippines-doh">Philippines yet to detect COVID-19 Delta subvariant: DOH</a></li></ul><p>Imperial epidemiologist Neil Ferguson said that the transmissibility of Delta meant that it was unlikely Britain would reach &quot;herd immunity&quot; for long.</p><p>&quot;That may happen in the next few weeks: if the epidemic&#x27;s current transmission peaks and then starts declining, we have by definition in some sense reached herd immunity, but it is not going to be a permanent thing,&quot; he told reporters.</p><p>&quot;Immunity wanes over time, it is imperfect, so you still get transmission happening, and that is why the booster program is so important.&quot;</p><div><br/><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1811815" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The Imperial College London study illustrates how the highly transmissible Delta variant can spread even in a vaccinated population.