Infectious disease expert says B.C. needs to be more transparent with breakthrough COVID-19 cases

A B.C. infectious disease expert says the province should release more detailed information about who among the fully vaccinated is contracting breakthrough COVID-19 infections.

Dr. Brian Conway of the Vancouver Infectious Disease Centre says the majority of breakthrough cases result in mild symptoms, but understanding who is most at risk will better target interventions to stem the spread of the disease.

"What we are doing right now isn't working as well as we would like," Conway said. "Let's try and prioritize who ... are getting these breakthrough infections so we can focus our booster program on those individuals."

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said its main focus is vaccine effectiveness.

"BCCDC does not have information about whether the cases are immunocompromised or had underlying health conditions," they said.

A new study out of the U.K. is shedding light on where breakthrough cases are occurring.

Researchers from the University of Oxford recently published a paper ranking those in the U.K. most at risk of breakthrough infections and who are at higher risk of being hospitalized or dying from infection.