Some fully vaccinated people have died of COVID-19. What you need to know
Global News
Getting vaccinated greatly reduces your chances of dying from COVID-19, experts say, even if it doesn't work 100 per cent of the time.
Colin Powell, the first Black U.S. secretary of state, died Monday from complications from COVID-19, even though he was fully vaccinated.
But while he’s not alone – around 7,000 Americans and 450 Canadians who were fully vaccinated have died from COVID-19, according to federal data – doctors note it remains rare, and that getting the vaccine is still extremely important as it protects you and others from the disease.
“When we’re hearing about some individuals who are dying who happen to have been fully vaccinated, it starts creating doubt in the minds of others about whether the vaccine is even worth it at all,” said Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Sinai Health and the University Health Network in Toronto.
“But we do know that those who are vaccinated have a far, far, far lower chance of potentially getting sick and even dying than those who are vaccinated,” he said.
The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that fully vaccinated individuals are 79 per cent less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and 62 per cent less likely to die as a result of their illness. Only five per cent of deaths were in fully vaccinated people, their data shows.
Breakthrough cases happen for a number of reasons, said Dr. Don Vinh, an infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at the McGill University Health Centre.
The Delta variant is more infectious than previous variants of COVID-19, he said, and that can account for some of it. Then, he said, immunity after vaccination might wane over time. Another factor is that some people’s immune systems just aren’t as strong.
“There are a group of people who have either conditions or treatments for their conditions that compromised their immune system and prevent them from being able to even adequately respond to the vaccine to begin with,” Vinh said.
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