Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Says 'Breakthrough' Post-Vaccine Covid Cases Are Rare
Los Angeles Times: ‘Breakthrough’ Infections Are Rare, And Just 2% Result In COVID-19 Deaths, CDC Says
In a four-month span during which the U.S. vaccination campaign was in a race against a spate of COVID-19 surges, a nationwide study has found that roughly 10,000 people became infected with the coronavirus after they had received all their recommended doses. Two percent of those patients with “breakthrough” infections died, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. That may sound like bad news. But run the numbers, and infectious-disease experts say it is actually quite good news indeed. (Healy, 5/25)
NBC News: Breakthrough Infections After Covid Vaccination Are Rare, CDC Says
Of the more than 130 million people in the United States who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, there have been reports of at least 10,262 breakthrough infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A breakthrough infection occurs when someone tests positive for coronavirus more than 14 days after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or the single Johnson & Johnson shot. (Syal, 5/25)
The New York Times: CDC Will Not Investigate Mild Infections In Vaccinated Americans
Julie Cohn was fully vaccinated when she went to cheer at her 12-year-old son’s basketball game in March. Midway through the match, he asked to remove his mask because he was getting so hot. She thought little of it. Three days later, he had a sore throat. He tested positive for the coronavirus, as did his younger brother a few days later. Ms. Cohn cared for them, thinking she was protected, but she woke up with what seemed like a head cold on March 28. The next day, she, too, tested positive. (Caryn Rabin, 5/25)
