Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, testifies before a House Select Subcommittee hearing on “Reaching the Light at the End of the Tunnel: A Science-Driven Approach to Swiftly and Safely Ending the Pandemic,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, April 15, 2021.
Amr Alfiky | AFP | Getty Images
U.S. health officials have confirmed less than 6,000 “breakthrough” cases of Covid-19 among fully vaccinated Americans so far, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Monday.
None of the patients have died or gotten severely ill, indicating the vaccines are working as intended, she said.
“With any vaccine, we expect such rare cases, but so far out of more than 84 million people who were fully vaccinated, we have only received reports of less than 6,000 breakthrough cases,” she told reporters at a press briefing. Breakthrough cases occur when someone contracts the virus more than 14 days after their second shot, she said.
The CDC chief acknowledged that the number could be an underestimate.
“Although this number is from 43 states and territories and likely and underestimate, it still makes a really important point, these vaccines are working. Of the nearly 6,000 cases, approximately 30% had no symptoms at all,” Walensky said.
