Vaccines work. An outbreak in a Kentucky nursing home involving a COVID variant with E484K in a vulnerable vaccinated population showed very effective (86.5%) protection against symptomatic illness. This is very good news and should be represented as such.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7017e2.htm
The outbreak occurred after an unvaccinated, symptomatic HCW exposed residents of the nursing home. 90.4% of its residents had been fully vaccinated. The vaccine was 86.5% protective in tamping down symptomatic illness for residents, and 87.1% protective among staffers.
Attack rates were 3-4x as high among unvaccinated residents and HCW as among those who were vaccinated; vaccinated persons were significantly less likely to experience symptoms or require hospitalization. The vaccine proved MORE effective in preventing poor outcomes; the reported
vaccine efficacy against hospitalizations was over 94% for residents; NO staffers were hospitalized. WGS identified an R.1 lineage variant, characterized by E484K and other mutations within the spike protein. Keep in mind R.1 is not a VUI nor a VOC.
So why is this encouraging? For one, breakthrough infections will happen. Vaccines are not 100% effective. However, you have an extremely vulnerable population, exposed to a cluster (outbreak of an over-dispersed pathogen) in close living quarters which exposes them to a fairly
high attack rate and the vaccines were STILL highly protective. Therefore, when you see articles in the media discussing “breakthrough infections,”remember that nuance is important.
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