Latest COVID-19 Breakthrough Case Update For New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — COVID breakthrough cases continue to plague the Garden State even as booster shots of the vaccine are being delivered with regularity.

The federal government authorized a single booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for those who received their second dose six months ago. But among the fully vaccinated, COVID cases continue to crop up.

These cases occur when someone contracts COVID-19 at least two full weeks after having received the final dose of the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is only tracking breakthrough cases that result in hospitalization or death. The vast majority of these do not require hospitalizations. In fact, one of the hallmarks of most breakthrough cases has been milder symptoms.

Among the fully vaccinated:

• 33,963 COVID+ cases (0.61 percent)
• 672 COVID-related hospitalizations (0.01 percent)
• 182 COVID-related deaths (0.003 percent)

From September 20th – September 26th, fully vaccinated individuals accounted for:

• 3,000 positive tests (Statewide Total: 13,507)
• 39 COVID-related hospitalizations (Statewide Total: 883)
• No COVID-related deaths (Statewide Total: 137)

"These figures show, conclusively, that the overwhelming number of individuals contracting the virus, going to the hospital because of a COVID-related illness, or sadly dying from complications of COVID continue to be folks who are either overwhelmingly either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated," Murphy said. "There is simply no other way to interpret this data. The vaccines work. And they work well."

Nationwide, as of Sept. 20, 4,493 fully vaccinated people have died as a result of the virus, up from 3,040 reported the previous week by the CDC. Eighty-six percent of them have been age 65 or older. The CDC is also reporting there have been 14,643 hospitalizations of fully vaccinated people in the same time period, and 69 percent of those are 65 or older.

This post contains reporting by Rich Kirby.

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