CDC says about 6,000 out of 66 million fully vaccinated Americans got COVID-19; 74 people died from ‘breakthrough infections’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday that 5,800 fully vaccinated Americans — out of 66 million who received the shots — still became infected with COVID-19, which represents about 0.008% of cases. The CDC said the result is in line with the agency’s expectations. In addition, the CDC said that 74 people also died from “breakthrough infections.”

These so-called breakthrough cases, which are defined as positive Covid-19 test results received at least two weeks after patients receive their final vaccine dose, represent 0.008% of the fully vaccinated population, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In addition, the agency also reported that 396 (7%) people with breakthrough infections were known to be hospitalized and 74 (1%) died. So far, the agency did not provide additional details about the 74 people who died from breakthrough infections.

CDC added that more than 40 percent of the breakthrough cases come from only 40 states.  The breakthrough cases occurred in people over the age of 60, and 65 percent of those infected were women, according to the data provided on the agency website.

The CDC also cautioned the public to not read too much into the data. The CDC explains:

“It is important to note that reported vaccine breakthrough cases will represent an undercount. This surveillance system is passive and relies on voluntary reporting from state health departments which may not be complete. Also, not all real-world breakthrough cases will be identified because of lack of testing. This is particularly true in instances of asymptomatic or mild illness. These surveillance data are a snapshot and help identify patterns and look for signals among vaccine breakthrough cases.”

Below is a summary of the breakthrough infections, according to the CDC website.

COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections reported to CDC

• As of April 13, 2021, more than 75 million people in the United States had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 since December 14, 2020.
• During the same time, CDC received 5,814 reports of vaccine breakthrough infections from 43 U.S. states and territories.
• Vaccine breakthrough infections were reported among people of all ages eligible for vaccination.
  • 2,622 (45%) of the reported infections were among people ≥60 years of age.
• 3,752 (65%) of the people experiencing a breakthrough infection were female.
• 1,695 (29%) of the vaccine breakthrough infections were reported as asymptomatic.
• 396 (7%) people with breakthrough infections were known to be hospitalized and 74 (1%) died.
  • Of the 396 hospitalized patients, 133 (34%) were reported as asymptomatic or hospitalized for a reason not related to COVID-19.
  • Of the 74 fatal cases, 9 (12%) were reported as asymptomatic or the patient died due to a cause not related to COVID-19.
  • Hospitalizations and deaths that are not a direct result of COVID-19 are still considered vaccine breakthrough cases if the person was fully vaccinated and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, for Americans who are already vaccinated, the CDC recommends that: “that fully vaccinated people continue to take steps to protect themselves and others in many situations, like wearing a mask, maintaining an appropriate social distance from others, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, and washing their hands often.”