More than 100 fully vaccinated people contract COVID-19 in Washington state, officials say

More than 100 people in Washington state have tested positive for COVID-19 more than two weeks after being fully immunized against the disease, officials said.

The Washington State Department of Health is investigating reports of the so-called revolutionary cases, which it says are expected with any vaccine.

Of the 1.2 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Washington, epidemiologists have reported evidence of 102 breakthrough cases in 18 counties since February 1, representing less than 0.01% of all fully vaccinated individuals in the northwestern state of the United States. Most of the cases were patients who had only mild symptoms, if any, according to a press release from the Washington State Department of Health.

However, at least eight people with breakthrough cases have been hospitalized. The Washington State Department of Health is also investigating two potential breakthrough cases where the individuals have died. Both patients were over 80 years old and suffered from underlying health issues.

The Washington State Department of Health said further investigation would help identify patterns among groundbreaking cases, such as whether a variant of the novel coronavirus may have caused the infection.

A breakthrough case is confirmed by a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or a positive antigen test in an individual more than two weeks after receiving their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Department of Washington State Health.

Finding evidence of vaccine breakthrough cases reminds us that, even if you have been vaccinated, you should still wear a mask, practice social distancing and wash your hands to avoid transmitting COVID-19 to others who have not been vaccinated, “Dr Umair Shah, the Washington state secretary of health, said in a statement Tuesday.

Large-scale clinical studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of contracting the disease in vaccinated individuals by up to 95%, compared to those who were not vaccinated. However, vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infections and therefore a small percentage of breakthrough cases can be anticipated, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

“It’s important to remember that every vaccine currently on the market prevents serious illness and death in most cases,” Shah said. “People should always get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible and encourage their friends, relatives and colleagues to do the same.”

More than 30.3 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the United States and more than 550,000 of them have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Washington state has recorded at least 363,235 confirmed cases and 5,237 deaths. So far, more than 16% of the population of Evergreen state is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins.