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A Few, as Expected

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a small group of people who contracted COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Experts tell the Journal that such breakthrough cases are to be expected as though the vaccines authorized in the US are highly effective, they are not a guarantee. In testing, Pfizer and BioNTech have reported their vaccine has about a 95 percent efficacy, while Moderna reported one of 94.5 percent and Johnson & Johnson one around 66 percent.

According to the Journal, CDC has identified 5,800 cases in which people were infected with SARS-CoV-2 two weeks or more after their final vaccination, which it says is about 0.008 percent of the vaccinated population.

CNN reports that the breakthrough infections affected a range of individuals, but that about 40 percent of cases were in people 60 years old or old and 65 percent were among women. In addition, 29 percent of cases were asymptomatic, but 7 percent were hospitalized and 74 people died, it adds.

"It is fully expected that some people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 will still get COVID-19," Joseph Wendelken, a spokesperson for Rhode Island's health department, tells the Journal. "The fact that our positivity rate among vaccinated people is so low is a sign of how effective that COVID-19 vaccine is. This is another reason why people should get vaccinated when they are eligible."

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