I’m fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but can I still get sick? Could I be contagious?
The COVID-19 delta variant is largely responsible for the recent surge of new cases and hospitalizations in the metro-east and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, is currently the most dominant strain of COVID-19 in the country.
The delta variant is a form of COVID-19 that Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infection Disease, recently described as the “greatest threat” to the effort of stopping COVID-19.
How are people who are fully vaccinated still getting the virus? Are they contagious? How dangerous are breakthrough infections?
What is a COVID-19 “breakthrough” case?
Breakthrough cases are when someone gets COVID-19, despite being fully vaccinated.
Vaccines vary in effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 cases. Two-dose vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna are believed to have 95% effectiveness at preventing COVID-19 and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson shot has a 72% effectiveness.
However, it’s still possible to get infected with mild or no symptoms and even serious illnesses.
The CDC says getting vaccinated is the best option for people because the shots also help reduce the severity of illness for people who do still get COVID-19.
Am I contagious if I’m vaccinated and have COVID-19?
Yes. The CDC says vaccinated people may still be able to spread the coronavirus and recommend that people who are vaccinated wear masks under certain circumstances.
Health officials had believed vaccinated people who caught COVID-19 were unlikely to spread the virus. However, the CDC says now that the more contagious delta variant that makes up for most of the new infections in the U.S., vaccinated people who get infected may carry enough virus to spread it to others.
How severe can COVID-19 be for vaccinated people?
When fully vaccinated people not only catch COVID-19, but also develop illness.
According to the CDC, severe illness or deaths from breakthrough illnesses typically happen in people who don’t have a strong immune response from the vaccine or are 65 years of age or older.
This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 2:13 PM.