Vaccination campaigns worldwide started with a lot of optimism and many health experts believed that through vaccination the world would reach herd immunity. The studies on earlier variants such as Alpha or Beta showed that vaccines were highly efficient against the disease, indicated that it is unlikely for a fully vaccinated person to get infected. However, the Delta variant became predominant worldwide and things changed.
Breakthrough Infections are Surging
In a recent article, the statistics show that 1 in 5 people diagnosed in six U.S states have been fully vaccinated in the past. When infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus after being fully vaccinated the process is called a breakthrough infection. Although the number of breakthrough infections is very low worldwide, the recent rise shows that the CDC’s latest recommendations should be followed carefully. People should wear masks in indoor places and at large gatherings, regardless of vaccination status.
Health Experts warn that the current pandemic is of those unvaccinated
Despite breakthrough infections, health officials warn that the current wave is affecting unvaccinated people. In many states, there are very few ICU beds available and many daily COvid-19 deaths are reported. The vaccines are highly effective against severe disease; it protects people from intubation, ventilation and other harmful procedures, as well as death. The study might be an extra reason for the Biden Administration to start the booster shot campaign this September. So far the FDA recommends a third dose to those vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna and who are immunocompromised.
Some of the states that have reported a rise in breakthrough infection cases are Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and California. Each state has different ways of setting their data, but these six are the ones, which keep very detailed statistics. At the same time, the existent CDC reports show that breakthrough infections are extremely rare and most people experiment mild cases.
