Unpacking the Implications of SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infections on COVID-19 Vaccination Programs

Tafadzwa Dzinamarira; Nigel Tungwarara; Itai Chitungo; Munashe Chimene; Patrick Gad Iradukunda; Moreblessing Mashora; Grant Murewanhema; Gallican Nshogoza Rwibasira; Godfrey Musuka

doi:10.3390/vaccines10020252

Unpacking the Implications of SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infections on COVID-19 Vaccination Programs

Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Feb 7;10(2):252. doi: 10.3390/vaccines10020252.

Authors

Tafadzwa Dzinamarira^{1

2}, Nigel Tungwarara³, Itai Chitungo⁴, Munashe Chimene⁵, Patrick Gad Iradukunda⁶, Moreblessing Mashora⁷, Grant Murewanhema⁸, Gallican Nshogoza Rwibasira⁹, Godfrey Musuka²

Affiliations

¹ School of Health Systems & Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
² ICAP, Columbia University, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe.
³ Department of Health Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
⁴ Chemical Pathology Unit, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe.
⁵ Department of Health Sciences, Africa University, Mutare P.O. Box 1320, Zimbabwe.
⁶ London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London WC1E 7HU, UK.
⁷ Department of Public Health, Mount Kenya University, Kigali P.O. Box 5826, Rwanda.
⁸ Unit of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe.
⁹ Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Ministry of Health, Kigali P.O. Box 7162, Rwanda.

Abstract

Despite an array of preventive global public health interventions, SARS-CoV-2 has continued to spread significantly, infecting millions of people across the globe weekly. Newer variants of interest and concern have continued to emerge, placing the need for policymakers to rethink prevention strategies to end the pandemic. The approval of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for public health use in December 2020 was seen as a significant development towards pandemic control and possibly ending the pandemic. However, breakthrough infections have continued to be observed among the 'fully vaccinated', and the duration and sustainability of vaccine-induced immunity has remained a topical public health discourse. In the absence of accurate public health communication, the breakthrough infections and waning immunity concepts have potential to further compound vaccine hesitancy. With this viewpoint, we discuss breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections, waning immunity, the need for COVID-19 booster shots, vaccine inequities, and the need to address vaccine hesitancy adequately to propel global vaccination programs forward.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; breakthrough infections; vaccination.