As more people get immunized, death rates among those entirely protected against COVID-19 have risen sharply, according to data from several states and the federal government of the United State.
The CDC’s cumulative breakthrough death count jumped by 51% between Oct. 11 and Oct. 18, from 7,178 to 10,857. The increase has been used by conservatives and vaccine skeptics to argue against mandatory immunizations.
“40% of all covid deaths last week were vaccinated. Stop vaccine mandates & forced masking,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wrote in a post which Twitter struck off as “misleading.”
Despite being fully vaccinated, Colin Powell, a former State Secretary died last week from complications associated with COVID-19 despite being fully immunized. Powell already had Parkinson’s disease and had even undergone treatment for multiple myeloma, an immune-suppressant blood cancer.
“Colin Powell was probably at as high risk as you could possibly be for a breakthrough infection with COVID,” explained Dr. Timothy Murphy, Director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
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During the wake of Powell’s death, anti-vaccination activists spread misinformation and misguided memes citing his inability to be protected by the vaccine as proof that the shots were not as effective as health officials claimed. Health experts vehemently disagreed with such assumptions.
“I hope people don’t take away from this that vaccination is not effective,” Dr. Chris King, a transplant paleontologist said to WJLA a week ago.
“I think that’s the absolute wrong message. I think the overwhelming thing that’s coming out of the data is that vaccination is effective.”
However, the CDC insists that breakthrough data is not collected in real-time and it is possible a case can take several weeks to be reported. In light of this, the shift is not directly responsible for the sharp increase in week-to-week deaths.
“National surveillance relies on passive and voluntary reporting, and data are not complete or representative. These surveillance data are a snapshot and help identify patterns and look for signals among vaccine breakthrough cases,” a CDC press officer explained.
In 13 states, CDC analysis found vaccinated persons accounted for 16 percent of deaths, 14 percent of hospitalizations, and 18 percent of all new infections between mid-June and mid-July. According to researchers, breakthrough cases were more frequent than anticipated and suggested that vaccine efficacy may be declining, but vaccines still delivered significant protection.
During the peak of the delta surge in August, the death rate among the vaccinated jumped from 0.1 per 100,000 to 1.2 per 100,000 in 16 jurisdictions representing 30% of the U.S. population. During the same period, however, the mortality rate per 100,000 unvaccinated people has heightened from 1.9 to 13.
In a report published by the CDC in August, more than 8 out of 10 breakthrough deaths occurred in the senior population (65 and above) through August. Furthermore, infections and deaths are more likely to occur in people with underlying medical conditions, according to studies.
It does appear clear, however, that breakthrough deaths and hospitalizations have become increasingly common despite research suggesting they remain relatively uncommon. Vaccinated people with existing medical conditions have made up 30 percent of recent deaths in Maryland related to the COVID-19 virus, according to Gov. Larry Hogan.
“The vaccines are outstanding, but they are not perfect, ” asserted Dr. Martin Blaser, a Director of Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine.
“They offer a very high level of protection, but not for all people, especially people who are immunosuppressed, as Gen. Powell Powell.
Availability of breakthrough case data varies widely by state. When it comes to death dates, officials are inexact, warning that it can take several weeks before deaths are included in the total, which makes comparing week-to-week death count impossible.
“You need to be careful because the way the counting is done can have a big impact In the numbers we see,” Murphy announced.
“It’s important to look at the trends as opposed to the individual changes that happen over short periods of time.”
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Approximately ten percent of COVID-19 patients in South Carolina who died in June had full vaccinations, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported. Approximately 25% of COVID-related victims that died in August and September were also vaccinated.
“We continue to see the majority of severe cases occurring among our fellow South Carolinians who are not fully vaccinated,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC public health director, explained before.
“Not being fully vaccinated puts people at increased risk of being hospitalized or dying if they become infected with COVID-19.”