VACCINATION BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS-COVID-19
COVID-19 vaccination breakthrough infections can be defined as COVID-19 virus infections that appear in COVID-19 vaccinated persons more than 14 days after getting a final dose.
Unfortunately, there is a great deal of misinformation out there being presented to an already terrified public, especially on social media.
The truth is that in recent weeks every state has seen rising cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID. This rise is driven largely by the delta variant, a far more contagious strain of the virus than the preceding ones. Reports of a number of fully vaccinated persons becoming ill with COVID-19 have become a cause for concern.
DO VACCINATION BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS MEAN VACCINES DON'T WORK
If a fully vaccinated person gets COVID, does this mean the vaccines don’t work or don't work as well as expected? The data that has been collected thus far gives evidence to the contrary.
The actual breakthrough COVID cases have so far been much less severe, rarely causing hospitalization. As of this point in time no use of ventilators or other advanced lifesaving measures have been necessary for those few who have been hospitalized.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 vaccines are less effective at preventing infection than they are at preventing disease. Vaccinated persons exhibiting the virus who come into their doctor’s office or a hospital and are tested prior to procedures tend to be either asymptomatic or have some mild symptoms. Over 96% of people with COVID that need hospitalization are the unvaccinated.
Yes, it is possible a fully vaccinated person can still get breakthrough infections of COVID. After all, the vaccines are not 100% effective. But as per the current data available, that person will be much better off than an unvaccinated person who contracts COVID.
It is so important to understand that when large numbers of people do not get vaccinated, the virus continues to evolve because it must infect humans to live. There is a distinct possibility that a very resistant strain may one day come our way that the vaccines might not work against at all.
There was a global effort to come up with the COVID-19 vaccines we have now and there has to be a continuing world-wide effort to control the virus by combining the production and equitable distribution of vaccinations with constant shared research to learn more about how the virus evolves.
Good examples of the results of such efforts against COVID-19 are the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. These are types of vaccines that work well with the current variants but they could possibly be ‘recoded’ to produce antigens from emerging variants of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) coronavirus in order to generate antibodies against those new antigens.
THE DELTA VARIANT
The delta variant of the COVID-19 virus went through a mutation or a number of mutations that have made it extremely effective in attaching its spike protein to human cells and gaining entry. This makes it very dangerous.
It has been shown that the viral loads in the back of the throats of infected patients are 1,000 times higher with the delta than with previous variants. It is almost akin to a completely different pandemic event.
In previous strains, the number of people an infected person would be expected to transmit the virus to was 2 to 2.5. Delta can infect about eight! That is as efficient as chickenpox and measles at spreading.
Another recent data study showed that the viral loads in the throats of vaccinated persons with breakthrough infections from the delta variant rises at the same rates as in unvaccinated persons.
But, the important point is that after about 5 days, these viral rates drop in the vaccinated people but persist in the unvaccinated. During that short period, vaccinated persons may have symptoms or may be completely asymptomatic and can spread the virus to others.
The very scary data is that young people are being hit very hard by the delta variant. Children’s hospitals are filling up and this variant is capable of causing severe disease. We do not have vaccines for the 5 to 11 year-olds yet and the school year is beginning. This is an very alarming situation.
ARE THE VACCINES WE HAVE NOW WORKING?
Find the answer to these questions as well as information about possible booster shots and the status of mask wearing recommendations, please continue reading here.
