Most re-infections are unvaccinated

Infection-acquired immunity has proven to be insufficient to protect against a re-infection from COVID-19, as more than two thirds of reinfections in Cyprus involve people who had not been vaccinated, according to data provided by the health’s ministry’s epidemiological surveillance unit.

A report presented before scientists advising the government on handling the coronavirus pandemic showed that 16,064 people have been infected with COVID-19 more than once, with the vast majority being reinfected in the current year.

A total of 10,956, or 68.2% out of the 16,064 were unvaccinated, while 2,206 (13.7%) had received just one dose, 1,707 (10.6%) had received two doses of a vaccine, and 1,195 (7.4%) had booster shots.

Some 14,251 people were re-infected between 1 January and 18 March 2022, with 3,306 (15%) of all reinfections occurring in the week between 12 and 18 March, of the total of 22,160 COVID-19 cases reported during that week alone.

More re-infections were reported in the week 12 to 18 March than in the whole of 2021, with 1,797.