At least three Hawaii residents who were completely immunized contracted COVID-19, although the coronavirus vaccines apparently prevented serious illnesses.
None of the three people who received two doses of the vaccine and were later tested positive became seriously ill or transmitted the virus to others, the health department said in an email.
“This number is not beyond what we would expect with nearly 165,000 people in Hawaii fully vaccinated,” said DOH spokesman Brooks Baehr. A vaccine with an efficiency of 95% will protect 95 out of 100 people. This is another reason why we should all make our contribution to keep the number of cases low. The lower the incidence of COVID in the community, the smaller the chance that any of us – even those who have been vaccinated – will be infected. ”
One of the cases was an Oahu health worker who contracted the virus after a recent trip to the mainland. The worker completed the two-dose dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in early January and traveled to several cities on the continent about a month later.
After returning to Hawaii, the individual and a travel companion were notified of their positive test results. The health department did not develop any symptoms or infected close contact, adding that laboratory samples could not be obtained to determine a variant of the virus.
Health officials stressed that the vaccine for COVID-19 does not guarantee that someone will contract COVID-19. However, the vaccines still prevent serious diseases and save lives, said Libby Char, director of health.
‘Nothing is 100%. The most important thing is that we are vaccinated to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death, ”she said. ‘It does not mean that you are completely immune and free to ever become COVID. Some people do not develop enough antibodies. ”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccines in the United States are “effective in preventing COVID-19 disease, especially serious illnesses and deaths.” However, CDC officials warn that “we are still learning how effective the vaccines are against the variant of the virus that causes COVID-19.”
Early data show that the vaccines may work against some variants, but that they may be less effective against others. “We are still learning how well COVID-19 vaccines prevent people from spreading the disease.”
Hawaii health officials have reported one new coronavirus death – an Oahu man in his 60s with an underlying medical condition – and 66 infections, which have caused the state a total of 449 deaths and 28,145 cases since the pandemic began. has.
According to health officials, there are 30 on Oahu, 20 on Maui, 15 on Hawaii Island and one on Molokai. As a result of updated information, state health officials removed two Oahu cases from the charges.
The statistics released today reflect the new cases of infection reported to the department on Wednesday.
The state allows residents 65 and older and those in the Phase 1c category to be vaccinated from Monday. These include essential workers in the hospitality industry, food service, transport, water / wastewater, construction, banking and finance, communications, energy, legal, media, public safety and public health workers, as well as 16- to 64-year-olds. with high risk medical conditions. Hawaii received 62,530 doses of vaccinations this week and expects 64,670 doses to arrive next week.
The vaccinations are just another layer of protection, and residents must continue to take precautions until enough people are vaccinated and ‘we have good immunity in our community’, Char added.
“We must not regard it as a miracle cure, but as another layer of protection. The most important layer of protection … to wear our masks, to keep our distance from each other – that’s what will keep us safe, ‘she said. “Even if we’ve been vaccinated, it does not mean you have a free ticket to do what you want.”