More than 14,000 vaccinated people in the U.S. have suffered severe illness from a breakthrough coronavirus infection.
As of September 7, at least 11,440 people who had a breakthrough case have been hospitalized and another 2,674 people who had a breakthrough infection have died, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Of these figures, 25 percent of breakthrough hospitalizations and 21 percent of breakthrough deaths were among asymptomatic individuals, or their hospital admission or death was not related to COVID-19, although they tested positive for the coronavirus.
The figures may be even higher, as only 49 states are reporting breakthrough counts to the CDC at this time.
Last week, a new CDC study found that the highly contagious Delta variant has caused more severe breakthrough cases than officials had expected.
The latest data from the CDC also shows the impact that the Delta variant is having on the nation. The predominant strain has rapidly driven up the number of severe cases from a breakthrough infection.
Data collected by The New York Times in August shows that in just a month, the number of breakthrough hospitalizations had risen by roughly 3,600, and the number of breakthrough deaths had gone up another 1,000.
Breakthrough COVID-19 infections are also showing to have more adverse outcomes for older people, who were previously more susceptible to severe illness.
While those over 65 continue to have the highest rates of vaccination, they also account for the greatest percentage of breakthrough-related hospitalizations and deaths—81 percent and 87 percent, respectively—suggesting that their decision to get the shot…
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