You can breathe a sigh of relief. You’ve gotten your COVID vaccine and now it’s been two weeks. You’ve got full protection against the virus now–and your friends (who haven’t gotten the shot yet) are feeling “vaccine envy.”
That’s how it supposed to work, in an ideal world. But by the end of March, Minnesota had already documented around 90 cases of breakthrough COVID in people who were fully vaccinated.
That’s what you and your non-vaccinated friend have in common. You can both still become infected with the COVID virus.
But the differences are more significant. Though fully-vaccinated and non-vaccinated people can contract COVID, the fully-vaccinated person is less likely to experience severe symptoms. Of the nearly 90 cases of breakthrough COVID, not one has died.
Another difference: fully-vaccinated individuals are far, far less likely to contract COVID. That shows the vaccine is doing its job. Health experts estimate that less than a tenth of one percent of fully vaccinated Minnesotans will become infected.
Breakthrough COVID is not a surprise. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were about ninety-five percent effective in clinical tests. The other five percent of the time, the virus was able to slip past the vaccine’s defenses.
Yet even with that five percent, the vaccine is still the best bet for staying out of the hospital and staying healthy.
Making Choices to Protect One Another During the Pandemic