1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: brain Stuff. Lauren Vogelbaum here. When the COVID nineteen vaccine 3 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: became available, Perry Knight of Fort Lauderdale, Florida got in 4 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: line as soon as he was eligible. He had already 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: done battle with the virus and wasn't interested in going 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: there again. Before the article this episode is based on 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: how Stuff Works, spoke with him via email. He said, 8 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: I first tested positive in August and spent two nights 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: in the hospital because I was having a hell of 10 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: a time just catching my breath. It had to be 11 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: up there as one of the worst experiences of my life. 12 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: It's like being underwater and about to come up for 13 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: fresh air, and halfway through drawing that fresh air, a 14 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: tightness interrupts it. Night got both doses of the Fiser 15 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: vaccine in May, and despite that he wasn't too surprised 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: when he tested positive again in July. He said, I 17 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: was more of having a feeling like, Wow, I should 18 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: just play the lottery, because this luck is incredible, if 19 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. I was mentally preparing to 20 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: go back into the hospital for another horrible couple days. Fortunately, 21 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: his second go around with COVID nineteen was nothing like 22 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: the first. His symptoms were mild and short lived, and 23 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: experience that has only strengthened his appreciation for the vaccine. 24 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 1: Knight said, after seeing firsthand my experience with COVID with 25 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: and without the vaccine, it's given me enough faith in 26 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: the medical system that vaccinations are doing their part to 27 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: protect us. It's not a shield a hundred percent preventing 28 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: the virus from getting to us, but it's a relentless 29 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: warrior who really keeps the worst of it at bay. Still, 30 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: it upsets a lot of people that COVID nineteen is 31 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: possible at all post vaccine. How does that even happen? 32 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: How stuff Works also spoke via email with Free Banerjee, 33 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: a faculty member in Walden University's PhD in Public health program. 34 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: He explained, but when a person gets COVID nineteen even 35 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: after being fully vaccinated, this is known as a breakthrough 36 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: infection since it breaks through the developed immune response. This 37 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: type of COVID breakthrough infection is not unusual. Indeed, it's 38 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: actually to be expected given the viruses recent mutations. Houstaff 39 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: Works also spoke with Dr Erin Glatt, a representative for 40 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: the Infectious Diseases Society of America and Chair of Medicine 41 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, New York. He said, 42 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 1: with the delta variant, it is certainly more common. These 43 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: variants have higher transmissibility than the earlier strains. They also 44 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: have higher viral loads, so they are more transmissible even 45 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,959 Speaker 1: to people who are vaccinated, so this is a concern 46 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: a breakthrough. Infections in general are nothing new. The medical 47 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: community sees them every single year with influenza. However, many 48 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: people mistakenly believe that vaccines provide complete and total protection. 49 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: But the truth is that, as with flu vaccines, the 50 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: COVID nineteen vaccines won't prevent you from being infected. They're 51 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: meant to increase your body's ability to fight the virus Effectively. 52 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: Vaccines don't prevent all infections, they just make them less 53 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: likely and prevent serious complications and death when those infections 54 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: do occur. Pharmaceutical companies, for their part, have been straightforward 55 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: from the get go about vaccine efficacy. Both Viser and 56 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: Maderna reported efficacy rates of for the original strain A 57 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: Visers drops to eight percent when faced with the newer 58 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: more contagious delta mutation and maderna is believed to perform 59 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: about the same, But breakthrough infections of COVID nineteen are 60 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: typically so mild that the Centers for Disease Control and 61 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: Prevention or CDC, stopped tracking them starting on May one, 62 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: unless such cases result in hospitalization or death, So for 63 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,559 Speaker 1: CDC tracking purposes, a mild case of COVID nineteen aftervaccination 64 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: is not currently considered a breakthrough infection banners, she said. Nationally, 65 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: forty six U S States and territories voluntarily reported ten thousand, 66 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: two hundred and sixty two breakthrough infections to the CDC 67 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: between January one and April one. By comparison, there were 68 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: eleven point eight million COVID nineteen diagnoses in total during 69 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: the same period. Through July one, there were five thousand, 70 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 1: nine hundred and fourteen patients with COVID nineteen vaccine breakthrough 71 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 1: infections who were hospitalized or died in the US, out 72 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 1: of more than a hundred and fifty nine million people 73 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: fully vaccinated nationwide, and to do the math and put 74 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: it another way, according to this data, fewer than one 75 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: tenth of one percent of the reported cases of COVID 76 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: nineteen from January through April occurred in people who were 77 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: already vaccinated. So let's say you cut a penny into 78 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: ten pieces, and for every hundred cases of COVID nineteen 79 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: you have every dollar's worth. Just one of those livers 80 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,799 Speaker 1: of a penny represents how many vaccinated people got COVID nineteen. 81 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: And furthermore, according to this data, through the middle of July, 82 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 1: fewer than three hundreds of one percent of people who 83 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: are vaccinated wound up either in the hospital or dying 84 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: from a breakthrough case of COVID nineteen. So take one 85 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: of those slivers of a penny and cut it into 86 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: ten even smaller pair fines livers, then count out three 87 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: of those. That's how many vaccinated people got seriously ill. 88 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 1: And now I keep saying according to this data, and 89 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,280 Speaker 1: that's because the data may not be complete. Bandage continued. 90 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: It's difficult to determine the rarity of breakthrough infections as 91 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: there is not any concrete, consistent data. A certain factors 92 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: complicate how breakthrough infections are counted. The main problem is 93 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: tracking the prevalence, as many do not experience symptoms even 94 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: if they contract a breakthrough infection. Another challenge is to 95 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: determine which individuals with COVID nineteen are in a long 96 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: COVID phase rather than a potential reinfection. While it may 97 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: be difficult to determine just how many people experience any 98 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: type of COVID nineteen related symptoms after vaccination, we can 99 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: see that the numbers of people who get them are small. 100 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: Just as important, if they do get COVID nineteen, the 101 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: symptoms will be much milder than if they had been unvaccinated. 102 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 1: One study found that fully vaccinated people accounted for only 103 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:39,720 Speaker 1: one percent of COVID nineteen cases. On August two, one, 104 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: the White House COVID Data Director announced that at least 105 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: seventy of adults in America have gotten at least one 106 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: shot of the vaccine. The two most common vaccinations require 107 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 1: two jabs weeks apart to achieve full immunity. This was 108 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,159 Speaker 1: good news, as a full vaccination rate of seventy is 109 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 1: needed for herd immunity. Until that's a achieved breakthrough, infections 110 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: are likely to continue with a vengeance. As of August one, 111 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: only seven percent of eligible people in the United States 112 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: were fully vaccinated, and that number varies widely. By state. 113 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: The CDC had dropped its masking guideline for vaccinated people 114 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: in May, but then in late July it reversed itself 115 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: and said that vaccinated people in areas with quote substantial 116 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: or high transmission should wear masks and doors because new 117 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: data had shown that vaccinated people who had the delta 118 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: variant could transmit the virus as easily as unvaccinated people. 119 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: These kinds of changes in guidelines are a totally normal 120 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: part of the scientific process. We're still learning how this 121 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: pandemic works, and experts are giving us the best advice 122 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: they have every time they learn something new. This isn't 123 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: a flaw in the system, it's a perk. A good 124 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: science can admit when it was incorrect and then a 125 00:07:55,520 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: just course. This is all science and action, and what 126 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: science is sure of is that more people need to 127 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,679 Speaker 1: get vaccinated to make COVID nineteen less deadly. The Howstuff 128 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: Works team also spoke with epidemiologist Dr Matt Weisenbach with 129 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: Walter's Clue or health. He said, Unfortunately, it's likely that 130 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: the remaining phases of the pandemic will predominantly impact the 131 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: unvaccinated segment of the population. Vaccination remains the single most 132 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: important choice to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your 133 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: community against COVID nineteen. Today's episode is based on the 134 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: article how does COVID nineteen break through in vaccinated people? 135 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: On how staff works dot com written by Leah Hoyt. 136 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is production of by Heart Radio in partnership 137 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: with how stuff works dot Com, and it is produced 138 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,319 Speaker 1: by Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts from my heart Radio 139 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 140 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.