COVID Breakthrough Cases In PA: Latest Updates

PENNSYLVANIA — With the first case of the new omicron variant recently appearing in the United States and the majority of Pennsylvania's counties designated as areas of high transmission, it's safe to say that the danger of the coronavirus is far from over.

But statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Health show that vaccination significantly decreased not just the risk of infection for Pennsylvanians in 2021, but also the likelihood of hospitalization and even death from COVID-19. Breakthrough cases exist, but are rare and account for a very small percentage of overall cases and deaths.

"The data shows that the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective for preventing hospitalizations and deaths, even as more post-vaccination cases occur in the context of more transmissible variants and more residents getting vaccinated," the state health department wrote.

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Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 2, 88 percent of reported COVID-19 cases in the commonwealth were in unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people, according to the most recently available data. That's 781,769 out of 886,148 total cases that were unvaccinated.

Ninety percent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 as their primary diagnosis were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

According to the state health department, instances of death from COVID-19 were 4.8 times higher in unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people than in vaccinated people.

Vaccinated people accounted for just 11 percent of COVID-19-related deaths so far this year.

"As we wait for more data on the omicron variant, now is a great time to get vaccinated," Gov. Tom Wolf wrote online on Monday.

In November, the COVID-19 vaccine was officially approved for children five and older. Recently, the COVID-19 booster shot was also approved for anyone 18 or older.

Booster shots of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available in Pennsylvania.

"Data from clinical trials showed that a booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series 6 months earlier or who received a J&J/Janssen single-dose vaccine 2 months earlier," the Centers for Disease Control wrote in an update on booster shots. "With an increased immune response, people should have improved protection against COVID-19, including the Delta variant."

Scientists are still discovering more information about the qualities of the Omicron variant, which was identified by a lab in South Africa on Nov. 25.

More information about Pennsylvania's COVID-19 statistics with regards to vaccination is available on the Department of Health website.