OHA releases new COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough report, Aug. 20

OHA’s most recent update on COVID-19 breakthrough cases, released today, found that 85.6% of the 20,701 reported COVID-19 cases between Aug. 1 and Aug. 14 occurred in people who were unvaccinated. There were 2,982 breakthrough cases, accounting for 14.4% of all cases. The average age of the breakthrough cases during that period was 46. Ninety-five breakthrough cases involved residents of care facilities, senior living communities or other congregate care settings. There were 52 breakthrough cases in people aged 12 to 17. To date, there have been 7,138 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon. The average age of all cases was 48. Breakthrough cases have been reported in all 36 counties. Cases of COVID-19 are far more common in unvaccinated people. The report shows that the rate of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people is currently approximately six times higher than in vaccinated people. “Vaccination remains the most effective tool to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” according to the report. To date, 5.8% of all vaccine breakthrough cases have been hospitalized and 0.8% have died. The average age of the people who died was 82. The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon remains very small when compared to the more than 2.36 million Oregonians who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination series.