CDC study shows three-fourths of people infected in Massachusetts covid-19 outbreak were vaccinated [View all]
Source: Washington Post
A sobering scientific analysis published Friday of an explosive Massachusetts covid-19 outbreak fueled by the delta variant found that three-quarters of the people who became infected were fully vaccinated. The report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bolstered the hypothesis that vaccinated people can spread the more transmissible variant and may be a factor in the summer surge of infections. The data, detailed in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, provided key evidence that convinced agency scientists to reverse recommendations on mask-wearing and advise that vaccinated individuals wear masks in indoor public settings in some circumstances.
Critically, the study found that vaccinated individuals carried as much virus in their noses as unvaccinated individuals, and that vaccinated people could spread the virus to each other. The CDC was criticized this week for changing its mask guidance without citing unpublished data. The report released Friday contains that data. "This finding is concerning and was a pivotal discovery leading to CDC's updated mask recommendation," CDC director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "The masking recommendation was updated to ensure the vaccinated public would not unknowingly transmit virus to others, including their unvaccinated or immunocompromised loved ones."
Scientists said the Provincetown outbreak and other recent data on breakthrough infections make clear that the vaccines do work, as hoped, against severe illness and death, but do not offer blanket protection against any chance of infection. Only a handful of people in the outbreak were hospitalized, but four of them were fully vaccinated. A CDC internal document obtained by The Washington Post estimated that 35,000 vaccinated people a week are having symptomatic breakthrough infections out of a vaccinated population of more than 162 million. Vaccination coverage is higher than average in Massachusetts, with nearly 70 percent of residents fully vaccinated.
"This shows the delta is formidable," said Larry Corey, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "We can't take one report of packed bars and extrapolate and say the sky is falling. The sky is not falling. But it does say the vaccine is not infallible. "Common sense has to be used," Corey said. "It's a learning moment, it's a teaching moment. You can't overlook the vast data we have on the effectiveness of the vaccine."
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/30/provincetown-covid-outbreak-vaccinated/
I know there was mention at the CDC telecon presser that the data would be released.
ETA - here is a link to their report - https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7031e2.htm?s_cidmm7031e2_w
ETA 2 - Here was Fauci discussing the problem with Delta this past Wednesday -
= new reply since forum marked as read
