Many Americans have taken on the risks of COVID-19 vaccines, despite reservations, in hopes of gaining protection against the more severe form of the disease. Unfortunately, data from Oregon shows that more than 500 residents have now died of the virus despite being fully vaccinated against it.
Since the pandemic began, Oregon has recorded 552 so-called "breakthrough" COVID-19 deaths. Of these, 273 people were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer jab, while 144 had the Moderna shot and 78 had been given the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
A report from the Oregon Health Authority also showed that of the 4,134 new cases of COVID-19 that were recorded from November 21 through November 27, at least 1,186 were breakthrough infections, which means that the individual was fully vaccinated against the disease at least 14 days prior to testing positive for the virus.
Oregon Health Authority Deputy Health Officer Dr. Tom Jeanne said that “it’s important to know that some people who are fully vaccinated will still get sick because no vaccine is 100% effective and those are the breakthrough cases.”
As of December 2, the state has reported more than 45,000 coronavirus infections among people who are fully vaccinated. Most of these cases, 10.9 percent, were in people aged 30 to 39, 6.6 percent were in people 80 and older, while those aged 12 to 19 accounted for 4.8 percent of the cases.
Of course, we don’t know exactly how many people are actually coming down with the virus after getting the jab as many of these cases go unreported.
The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Breakthrough Report notes: "This report includes only those vaccine breakthrough cases which are reported to public health following a positive test result. Many vaccine breakthrough cases are believed to experience no symptoms or minimal symptoms. These cases are unlikely to undergo testing for COVID-19 and be reported to public health. Therefore, the true number of vaccine breakthrough cases is unknown.”
Rather than admitting the vaccines are not working as well as they should, the OHA continues to push Oregonians into getting the jab. They recently opened a new high-volume vaccination site in Wood Village, where adults and children alike can show up for walk-in and drive-in jabs without an appointment. Nearly a dozen more of these sites will open this month throughout the state.
False sense of security among vaccinated fueling surge in breakthrough cases
The World Health Organization has said that it is concerned that people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 are developing a false sense of security. With the pandemic surging in Europe, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the media that while vaccines "work," they do not stop the virus's transmission.
He said: "In many countries and communities, we are concerned about a false sense of security that vaccines have ended the pandemic, and that people who are vaccinated do not need to take any other precautions."
"If you are vaccinated, you have a much lower risk of severe disease and death, but you are still at risk of being infected, and of infecting others."
Tedros urged Europeans to continue to take precautions against getting infected with the virus and infecting others, including meeting people outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces, practicing social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding crowds.
Unfortunately, many people think their vaccine gives them a free pass to throw caution to the wind – an idea that governments are reinforcing by restricting the freedoms of those who are unvaccinated and giving those who did get the jab “passes” to continue life as normal. Everyone, regardless of their vaccination status, needs to understand the risks and act responsibly, and governments need to be more honest with people about what type of protection their vaccines are really providing.
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