OHA releases new COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough report, Oct. 8

OHA’s most recent update on COVID-19 breakthrough cases, released Thursday, found that 75.6% of the 10,411 reported COVID-19 cases between Sept. 26 through Oct. 2, occurred in people who were unvaccinated. There were 2,542 breakthrough cases, accounting for 24.4% of all cases. The average age of the breakthrough cases during that period was 46. Forty-nine breakthrough cases involved residents of care facilities, senior living communities or other congregate care settings. There were 91 breakthrough cases in people ages 12 to 17. To date, there have been 28,075 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon. The average age of all cases is 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 four times higher than in vaccinated people. To date, 4.5% of all vaccine breakthrough cases have been hospitalized and 0.8% have died. The average age of vaccinated people who died was 81. Vaccination remains the most effective tool to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon remains very small when compared to the more than 2.75 million Oregonians who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.