Out of the over 1 million people in Washington who have been fully vaccinated, 102 have still tested positive for COVID-19 at least two weeks after receiving the final dose, the Washington state Department of Health (DOH) said in a news release Tuesday.
But the percentage of breakthrough cases is small — about .01% — which health officials said was to be expected. Vaccines were never reported to be 100% effective. Large-scale clinical trials found the ceiling of those who received the vaccine at 95% less likely to get a COVID-19 infection than those who didn't receive a vaccine.
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The cases were found in 18 of Washington's 39 counties. Eight of the 102 breakthrough cases resulted in hospitalizations, and potentially the deaths of two 80-year-olds who had underlying conditions. All cases were being investigated by the department to identify patterns and find out if any of the variants caused the infections.
As breakthrough cases were expected, health officials are still encouraging Washington residents to get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
"It is important to remember that every vaccine on the market right now prevents severe disease and death in most cases," said Washington Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah. "People should still get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible, and encourage friends, loved ones, and co-workers to do the same."
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Shah also encouraged everyone to continue wearing masks and social distance "even if you have been vaccinated."
As of Tuesday, over 1.2 million people in Washington were fully vaccinated, about 16% of the state's population. The county with the highest percentage of vaccinated residents is Jefferson County with about 32% of the population fully vaccinated, and 45% of it having at least one dose.