What's in a name? The term 'breakthrough infection' raises doubts about vaccines, but it shouldn't
CNN
In most cases, a "breakthrough" means a sudden, dramatic or important discovery. With Covid-19, however, the expression has been used to describe an infection that "broke" through the protective immunity of the vaccine -- and this is sometimes misinterpreted as a sign the vaccine is not working.
For the public health community and the scientists who helped create the vaccines, however, "breakthrough infection" signifies just the opposite: proof the vaccine is doing its job, just as it should. It is confusing: How well do the vaccines really work and what does it mean if someone still becomes infected after being vaccinated?
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