Speak Up: DPH finds 24 COVID-19 cases in fully vaccinated Delawareans

As of April 2, the Delaware Division of Public Health had identified 24 cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated individuals. A person is fully vaccinated 14 or more days after the last dose in the vaccine series — after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna and after a single dose of Johnson & Johnson. “The currently available COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) have all been shown to be highly effective,” said DPH communications chief Andrea Wojcik. “While it is significantly less likely, it is still possible to contract the virus after being vaccinated. The possibility of infection and potential for transmission is why we continue to remind Delaware residents to continue following public-health precautions, including wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing, even after receiving the vaccine, until more Delawareans have been able to be vaccinated.”

• The vaccines are 72%-95% effective based on manufacturer/FDA data. The fact that only 0.01% have been identified with any symptoms is astonishing. This is good news. — Rich Quashne

• Everyone needs to understand that the vaccine only prevents the virus from killing us and protects against serious illness. We can and will still get the virus, but the majority will survive! — Rick Reed

• What you just said is the vaccine only prevents the virus from killing us, but if you still get the virus, the majority will survive? Are you serious?! The survival rate if you test positive is 99.4% anyway with no vaccine. — Greg Butler

• All data provided to the general public, even a year later, show the majority of individuals, fully vaccinated or not, do not develop severe symptoms, end up hospitalized or dead. The actual numbers fluctuate based on individual results, issues and locations. Like Florida and their current daily new confirmed cases of over 3,000 per day. This is a result of spring break, Bike Week and a state that does not enforce any of the year-old recommendations for sanitizing, masks covering mouth and nose, social distancing at least 6 feet apart, limiting groups to less than 20, restricting activities to necessary activities only. By the way, DeSantis, the governor of Florida, is under investigation, again, for underreporting new confirmed cases, etc. — Victoria M. Olds

• I don’t think the vaccine should be looked upon as the end-all, be-all of COVID. A more realistic approach could be to consider it a tool to keep more people from suffering serious complications from the virus, should they contract it, because their immune system is ready to strike. Look at the varicella vaccine — you can still get pox and shingles, you just won’t get them with the severity you would have otherwise. I’m no doctor, but keeping people out of the hospital or even from dying seems like a far more realistic goal. Let’s not play ourselves. — Heather Laskey

• It is a tool to help aid the symptoms but not a cure! Period! — Beth Reed Jacobs

• People who get the flu vaccine can still get the flu! It’s not a 100% cure or fix. It helps the spread and strengthens the immune system. I do wish people would understand this. — Travis Parker

• And here I thought vaccines stopped you from getting a disease.. — Steve Durnan

• Over years, not a few months. — Victoria M. Olds

• This might be a stupid question, but what does it mean to be fully vaccinated? I know it means to obviously finish the completed vaccines, but is there like a “waiting period” after the last dosage? Like to be fully vaccinated, it means last dosage plus so many days after? Or is it just the final dosage? — Sarah Elizabeth

• Fully vaccinated means two weeks after the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. Two weeks after J&J vax. — Renee Grob

• Facts are facts. You can have your own opinion but not your own facts. — Patricia Marie Diienno

• We shut the whole state down for that kind of number a year ago. They’ll play it down now, though. — Donna Williams

• A year ago, we also knew a whole lot less about the virus, and people weren’t getting vaccinated because it wasn’t even an option. You’re surprised now that 24 positive cases isn’t reason to shut things down? How is that surprising? Even though I think we screwed up management of this entire pandemic in the U.S., even I’m not surprised that 24 cases wouldn’t be cause to shut things down. — Allyson Somers