Claire Dawson
Vaccines have been a key tool in the fight against COVID-19, and while they have proven to be highly effective in preventing severe illness, some fully vaccinated individuals have still been hospitalized with breakthrough infections. As of July 2021, the CDC reported that roughly 4,100 people had been hospitalized or died with COVID-19 breakthrough infections after being fully vaccinated. However, it's important to note that the number of breakthrough cases is very small compared to the total number of vaccinated individuals, and vaccines remain highly effective in reducing the risk of severe illness and death.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of fully vaccinated people hospitalized with COVID-19 | Over 4,400 |
| Number of fully vaccinated people hospitalized with COVID-19 (CDC figure) | 3,907 |
| Number of fully vaccinated people hospitalized with COVID-19 (CDC figure, updated) | 4,115 |
| Number of fully vaccinated people hospitalized with COVID-19 (NBC News figure) | 5,914 |
| Number of fully vaccinated people hospitalized in Illinois | 17 |
| Number of fully vaccinated people in Illinois | 2,161,302 |
| Number of fully vaccinated people in Illinois who tested positive for COVID-19 | 399 |
| Percentage of fully vaccinated people in Illinois who tested positive for COVID-19 | 0.0185% |
| Number of fully vaccinated people who have tested positive for COVID-19 | 125,682 (in 38 states) |
| Number of fully vaccinated people who have tested positive for COVID-19 (total) | Over 125,000 |
| Percentage of fully vaccinated people who have tested positive for COVID-19 | Less than 0.08% |
| Number of fully vaccinated people who have died after contracting COVID-19 | 1,400 |
| Number of fully vaccinated people who have died after contracting COVID-19 (CDC figure) | 750 |
| Number of fully vaccinated people who have died after contracting COVID-19 (CDC figure, updated) | 142 |
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What You'll Learn
COVID-19 breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people
COVID-19 breakthrough infections refer to instances where fully vaccinated individuals contract the virus. While COVID-19 vaccines significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, some fully vaccinated people have been hospitalized or died from COVID-19. Data from June to September 2021 indicates that 85% of hospitalizations were among the unvaccinated, while 15% were among the vaccinated.
Several factors may contribute to breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated individuals. Firstly, the emergence of new variants, such as the highly contagious Delta variant, can pose a threat even to those who are fully vaccinated, especially those with high-risk medical conditions. Secondly, the effectiveness of vaccines may wane over time, and older adults who were among the first to receive the vaccines might experience a decline in immunity. Additionally, older adults are more likely to have weakened immune systems, and the vaccines may offer less protection to this vulnerable group.
The risk of severe illness and hospitalization is still significantly reduced for vaccinated individuals. However, it is important to note that even fully vaccinated individuals can transmit the virus, especially with variants like Delta, which has been shown to have similarly high viral loads in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. This underscores the importance of continued precautions, such as wearing masks and social distancing, to prevent the spread of the virus.
While breakthrough infections are a concern, they do not diminish the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing severe disease and reducing the risk of hospitalization and death. Vaccines remain a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19, and continued efforts to increase vaccination rates and encourage booster shots for vulnerable populations are essential to protecting public health.
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Risk of hospitalisation for fully vaccinated vs unvaccinated
While COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be highly effective in preventing severe illness and death, some fully vaccinated individuals have still been hospitalized with breakthrough infections. According to the CDC, approximately 4,100 fully vaccinated people in the United States had been hospitalized or died from COVID-19 as of June 2021. However, it is important to note that the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths occur in unvaccinated individuals.
In Illinois, for example, out of over 2.1 million fully vaccinated people, only 17 had been hospitalized due to COVID-19, as reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Similarly, a study of over 120,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the Cosmos dataset from June to September 2021 revealed that 85% were among those not fully vaccinated, while only 15% were fully vaccinated. This data suggests that the risk of hospitalization is much lower for fully vaccinated individuals.
Additionally, observational studies have shown that the vaccines are effective in preventing hospitalization. For instance, the adenovirus-based vaccine was found to be 68% effective, while the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based vaccine was 89% effective. Furthermore, vaccinated patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 tend to have fewer respiratory complications and are less likely to die compared to unvaccinated patients.
While the exact reasons for hospitalization among fully vaccinated individuals are not always clear, it is believed that certain underlying health conditions and age may play a role. The CDC recommends that older adults and those with specific comorbidities receive a third dose or booster shot to enhance their protection against severe disease. Nonetheless, the overall risk of hospitalization for fully vaccinated individuals remains significantly lower compared to those who are unvaccinated.
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Hospitalisation rates in Illinois
According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, 17 people in the state who were considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have been hospitalized by the disease. However, as of July 2021, this number had risen to 518. Of these 518 people, 33% had diabetes, 22% had chronic kidney disease, 22% had immunocompromised conditions, 4% had autoimmune diseases, and 3% had chronic liver disease. Experts have warned that the number of breakthrough infections may be much higher than reported, as the state only reports cases that involve hospitalization or lead to death.
In total, about 5.9 million Illinois residents are fully vaccinated. Despite the emergence of new variants, such as the Delta variant, experts maintain that the chances of getting a breakthrough infection remain very low. Vaccines continue to offer a high level of protection, even against new variants. Studies have shown that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were 94% and 95% effective, respectively, in preventing COVID-19 during clinical trials, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was found to be 66% effective.
In Illinois, the focus has been on expanding vaccine eligibility and accelerating inoculations. As of April 2021, the state had administered over 5.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, with almost 3 million inoculations occurring in March alone. The state's total number of fully vaccinated residents and workers exceeded 2.1 million at that time.
While the majority of those hospitalized with COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated had underlying health conditions, it is important to note that no vaccine is 100% effective. Even with rare breakthrough infections occurring, vaccines have proven to be highly effective in preventing severe cases of the illness.
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CDC reporting of breakthrough cases
The CDC defines a vaccine breakthrough infection as the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA or antigen in a respiratory specimen collected from a person ≥14 days after they have completed all recommended doses of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people continue to take steps to protect themselves and others, such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
The CDC encourages local health departments, healthcare providers, and clinical laboratories that identify a COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough case to request respiratory specimens be held for further testing and report the case to the relevant state health department for further investigation and reporting to the national system. COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases resulting in hospitalization or death should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
The CDC previously monitored all reported vaccine breakthrough cases but has transitioned to focusing on identifying and investigating only severe breakthrough infections resulting in hospitalization or death. This shift aims to maximize the quality of data collected on cases of greatest clinical and public health importance. The CDC now monitors reported hospitalized or fatal vaccine breakthrough cases for clustering by patient demographics, geographic location, time since vaccination, vaccine type, and SARS-CoV-2 lineage.
Data on vaccine breakthrough cases is collected through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and the COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough REDCap database, where designated state health department investigators can enter, store, and manage data for cases in their jurisdiction. As of May 1, 2021, the CDC transitioned its strategy, and as of June 21, 2021, the CDC received reports of 4,115 patients with COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections who were hospitalized or died across 47 U.S. states and territories.
It is important to note that reported vaccine breakthrough case numbers may be undercounts due to the passive surveillance system relying on voluntary reporting from state health departments, and not all real-world breakthrough cases may be identified due to a lack of testing, especially in asymptomatic or mild illness cases.
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Effectiveness of vaccines in preventing severe illness
Vaccines have proven to be effective in preventing severe illness and death in COVID-19 patients. Studies have shown that those fully vaccinated for more than seven weeks have not been hospitalized or died from COVID-19. However, there have been reports of fully vaccinated people being hospitalized with breakthrough COVID-19 infections. As of July 2024, 15% of COVID-19 hospitalizations were among fully vaccinated people, while 85% were among those not fully vaccinated.
The difference in hospitalization rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals may be even greater than previously thought. This is because fully vaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had fewer respiratory complications or treatments, suggesting that they may have been hospitalized for unrelated reasons.
While vaccines have proven effective in reducing the risk of severe illness and death, some concerns have been raised about potential misrepresentation or selective reporting of research findings. For example, the pivotal randomized controlled trial that led to the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer vaccine showed no meaningful difference between the vaccine and placebo groups in preventing severe COVID-19 or all-cause mortality. Additionally, there have been concerns about waning immunity, lack of demonstrated mortality benefit, and an increasing number of reports of adverse effects.
Despite these concerns, the overall consensus is that vaccines are effective in preventing severe illness and reducing the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. However, more research is needed to fully understand the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing severe illness, especially in the context of new variants and changing public health measures.
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Frequently asked questions
The CDC reported that 3,907 people have been hospitalized with breakthrough COVID-19 infections, despite being fully vaccinated.
In Illinois, out of more than 2.1 million people who were fully vaccinated, 17 were hospitalized due to COVID-19. This equates to 0.0008% of those fully vaccinated.
Yes, observational studies demonstrate that vaccines are effective at preventing hospitalization. Vaccinated patients are less likely to die compared to unvaccinated patients.
Yes, health comorbidities, being immunocompromised, and age are factors that increase the risk of hospitalization for fully vaccinated people.
A breakthrough COVID-19 infection is when a fully vaccinated person contracts COVID-19. These infections are very rare and often asymptomatic.
