Over 200 vaccinated Washingtonians test positive for COVID. That’s not unexpected
More than 200 people in 24 Washington counties have tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving the full dose of the vaccine and five have died, health officials say.
The phenomenon is referred to as “vaccine breakthrough,” which is “when a person tests positive for COVID-19 two weeks or more after receiving the full course of an approved COVID-19 vaccine,” according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Health.
Some of the breakthrough cases have involved emerging variants of coronavirus, officials said.
The five people who died all had underlying health conditions. They were all between the ages 67 to 94 and four were in long-term care facilities.
“While the majority of individuals with confirmed vaccine breakthrough experienced only mild or no symptoms, some people have been hospitalized,” according to the department. “DOH is still gathering information for approximately half of the breakthrough cases. However, the agency can say that among breakthrough cases with hospitalization information available, 12% were hospitalized.”
According to the health department’s news release:
As of April 3, there have been a total of 217 cases of vaccine breakthrough in the state and the “median age has shifted downward since the first cases were reported, with more people in the 40 [to] 59 year old demographic compared to previous weeks.”
Breakthrough cases represent about .01% of Washington’s fully vaccinated population, which, as of Wednesday, is more than 1.7 million people.
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Scientists say breakthrough cases are expected to occur with any vaccine. While clinical studies found vaccines prevented most people from contracting COVID, they “are not 100% effective,” meaning “a very small number of fully vaccinated people will still get sick.”
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Clinical trials showed the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines lowered risks of developing symptomatic COVID-19 by about 95%, McClatchy News previously reported. This means vaccinated people were about 20 times less likely to get the disease than those who didn’t receive a shot.
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The Johnson & Johnson vaccine had a 72% efficacy rate among Americans, although the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a guidance this week recommending health officials pause administration of the vaccine because a handful of women have developed blood clots after getting their shot, according to Washington’s health department.
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As of Tuesday, the department has reported 353,147 cases of COVID in Washington and 5,340 deaths.
Health officials urge people to continue to be mindful of COVID-19 prevention practices that have been in place for more than a year.
“Finding evidence of vaccine breakthrough cases reminds us that, even if you have been vaccinated, you still need to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash your hands to prevent spreading COVID-19 to others who have not been vaccinated,” Dr. Umair A. Shah, Washington Secretary of Health, said in the release.
