There are breakthrough COVID-19 cases being reported across the U.S. among fully vaccinated people, with a small minority experiencing severe symptoms.
Here are three notes:
1. The type of COVID-19 vaccine may affect breakthrough infection risk. A Mayo Clinic Health System study showed people who received the Moderna vaccine may be less likely to experience a breakthrough infection when compared with the Pfizer vaccine. The Rochester, Minn.-based health system found Moderna's vaccine 76 percent effective, while the Pfizer vaccine was 46 percent effective in preventing breakthrough infections.
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2. Arkansas had the highest rate of breakthrough COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Aug. 11. Around 4.7 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Arkansas were breakthrough cases. Maine had the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths among fully vaccinated individuals at 5.6 percent of COVID-19 deaths. The data is based on a report from The New York Times with information from 40 states and Washington, D.C.
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3. An article in Scientific American noted that although breakthrough cases of COVID-19 are occurring, that doesn't mean the vaccines don't work. The shots provide protection against serious illness and make it more difficult for infected people to transmit the disease.
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