The spread of the B16172 delta variant throughout the U.S. has caused a surge in breakthrough infections. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) latest weekly report confirm the increase in COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated Americans. The newly released figures have strengthened calls from government scientists to push for booster shots to address the spread of the more infectious delta strain.
The CDC report published on Aug. 24 included data from more than 43,000 confirmed cases in Los Angeles County from May through July 25 of this year. Unvaccinated residents accounted for the majority of the cases -- 30,081 cases, or 71.4 percent -- while fully vaccinated individuals made up 25.3 percent (10,895 individuals) of the total. Partially vaccinated individuals accounted for only 3.3 percent (1,431 individuals).
Barbara Ferrer, the county's public health director, acknowledged the breakthrough infections during a recent briefing. "[These] reflect the reality that the vaccines do not provide 100 percent protection. [With] these high rates of community transmission, more fully vaccinated people are getting post-vaccination infections," she admitted.
On the same day it released the report, the CDC also released an update on the HEROES cohort study conducted among health workers. The study looked at vaccinated healthcare workers in eight U.S. states who caught COVID-19 before and after the delta variant began to spread. Data revealed that vaccine effectiveness dropped significantly when the delta variant arrived – from 91 percent to 66 percent.
Another excuse to force booster shots to the population
The CDC relies on data from cohorts, such as those from L.A. County, to determine whether Americans need a third dose of COVID-19 vaccines to increase their protection against the virus. (Related: Even the WHO says booster shots are unnecessary, but Biden's White House prefers to listen to Big Pharma: BOOSTER covid shots coming to the USA.)
Scientists from the federal government have laid out a strategy for these COVID-19 booster shots, with administration of the doses to begin Sept. 20. However, the strategy is still subject to review by the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration.
According to earlier reports, federal officials recommend that people get booster shots eight months after they receive their second dose of COVID vaccine. The eight-month timeframe is based on research conducted inside and outside the U.S. on the effectiveness of vaccines over time, and the degree of protection they provide against the delta variant. According to the CDC, the delta variant now accounts for almost all new U.S. COVID-19 cases.
Doctors who talked to NBC also said that several studies, particularly those from Israel, which began vaccinating its citizens in December 2020, likely played a role in the Biden administration's chosen timing for booster shots. The majority of people in Israel were vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, people over 65 who were vaccinated in January 2021 now only have 55 percent immunity against the virus. (Related: Israel finds Pfizer vaccine only 39 percent effective against delta variant, meaning that fully vaccinated people can still spread covid.)
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's Dr. Benjamin Singer said the waning effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines poses a serious concern, given the more contagious nature of the delta variant. He also shared his two cents on why COVID-19 booster shots would be recommended at eight months: "[It's] not entirely clear, but it's probably a combination of waning immunity over time and the fact [that] current circulating variants are just that much more contagious, and spread that much more easily."
Pandemic.news has more articles about breakthrough COVID-19 infections and the push for booster doses.
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