217 breakthrough cases reported; still expected, Washington health officials say

A little over 200 people in Washington have tested positive for COVID-19 at least two weeks after becoming fully vaccinated. But, as the state has vaccinated over 1.7 million, the percentage of breakthrough cases is miniscule -- it's also expected.

The state Department of Health (DOH) puts the chance of breakthrough cases at about .01%, and said in a news release the vaccines were never believed to be 100% effective.

"Finding evidence of vaccine breakthrough cases reminds us that, even if you have been vaccinated, you still need to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and wash your hands to prevent spreading COVID-19 to others who have not been vaccinated," said Washington Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah said. "We encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible, and encourage friends, loved ones, and co-workers to do the same."

During a news briefing Wednesday morning, the DOH emphasized how small the number of 217 breakthrough cases stood in the shadow of the 1.7 million people vaccinated.

Two weeks ago, when the state last reported breakthrough cases, it also reported two deaths and eight hospitalizations potentially linked to them. On Wednesday, the state bumped the total deaths it suspected was linked to breakthrough cases to five. It also reported 12% of the cases resulted in hospitalization.

The people who died were between 67 and 94 years old and all had multiple underlying conditions, the news release said.

As breakthrough cases were expected, health officials are still encouraging Washington residents to get vaccinated as quickly as possible. The percentage of breakthrough cases has not grown in any noticeable way since the last time the state reported them.

"It is important to remember that every vaccine on the market right now prevents severe disease and death in most cases," Shah said in late March. "People should still get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible, and encourage friends, loved ones, and co-workers to do the same."

The state also warned Wednesday morning the increased case rates across Washington could outpace the rollout of vaccinations. As the state hasn't vaccinated a quarter of its population yet, health officials had a simple message: the pandemic is not over yet.

The state is also battling again with slightly decreasing vaccine supplies.

"It all continues to boil down to vaccine supply," said Michele Roberts, who leads the COVID-19 vaccine planning and distribution team. "And our state allocations have unfortunately gone down recently."

As the state opens eligibility to all on Thursday, she also preached patience. According to Roberts, about 1.5 million more people are about to eligible for the vaccine.

As of Tuesday, over 1.7 million people in Washington were fully vaccinated, about 22% of the state's population. The county with the highest percentage of vaccinated residents is Jefferson County with about 38.31% of the population fully vaccinated, and 53.51% of it having at least one dose.