9,969 Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases In Massachusetts, That's Just 0.23% Of Vaccinated People
BOSTON (CBS) - The number of breakthrough COVID infections in Massachusetts is nearing 10,000, but a closer look at the numbers shows the vast majority of fully vaccinated people are protected.
Just a few short weeks ago, it appeared that we were going to have a carefree summer, but COVID's delta variant brought caution back into our lives. Even the vaccinated have their guard up.
On Tuesday, the state put out its latest vaccine report, which includes the number of cases in vaccinated people. As of August 7, 9,969 out of more than 4.3 million fully vaccinated people came down with COVID. That's just .23%.
The percentages are even lower for hospitalizations, just 445 fully vaccinated have been hospitalized, or .01%. There have been 106 fully vaccinated people who have died, or .002%
Yet some epidemiologists want more data.
"What's more relevant to me is what's the percentage of vaccinated people that get infected over a certain time, compared to the percentage of unvaccinated people that get infected," said Dr. Shira Doron, an epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center.
While hospitals are seeing an increase in very sick COVID patients with the delta variant, it's overwhelmingly in unvaccinated people.
"The majority of them, 75-80% have not been vaccinated," said Dr. Richard Ellison of UMass Memorial Health Center. "When we look in our intensive care unit, it's been about 90-95% of our patients who have been in the intensive care unit have not been vaccinated."
Still, experts say our state is battling COVID well.
"We're so lucky to live in Massachusetts," Dr. Doron said.