Breakthrough cases in Eastern Region very rare

Concern is continuing to mount over breakthrough COVID-19  variant cases.  Breakthrough means that a fully vaccinated individual tests positive for the virus.

Although figures are not available for Accomack and Northampton counties individually, they are available for the Eastern Region of Virginia which includes Hampton Roads, the Middle Peninsula, the Northern Neck and the Eastern Shore.  The figures are updated weekly and are for the first week of August.

As of Friday, August 6, 98.81% of cases in the Eastern Region were in persons not fully vaccinated. 98.21% of hospitalizations were people who were not fully vaccinated and 98.35% of the deaths in the Eastern Region were not fully vaccinated individuals as well.

According to the VDH dashboard,  there were a total of 699 breakthrough cases in the Eastern Region out of a total of 56,681 reported, or less than 1%.

There were 45 breakthrough hospitalizations out of 2,513 total or 1.7%

Out of 789 deaths, 13 or 1.6% were breakthrough cases.

According to the VDH no vaccine is or ever has been 100% effective but your chances of avoiding contracting COVID are far better if you are vaccinated. Efficacy rates of other vaccines including measles, chicken pox and mumps  which have virtually been eradicated in the last 30 years, have traditionally been in the low 90% range. Data is available at the regional level, and can be accessed at this link:  https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-data-insights/covid-19-cases-by-vaccination-status/.

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