Dr. Jinlene Chan
Less than 1% of those vaccinated against COVID have contracted the virus.
Annapolis, Md (KM) The Maryland Department of Health has begun releasing statistics on the number of patients who contracted COVID-19 after receiving their vaccinations against the virus. “We have seen post vaccination infections happen among vaccinated Marylanders as well as other people across the US. But this is something that has been expected all along,” says Dr. Jinlene Chan, Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services.
“Not only with COVID vaccine do we see post-vaccination infections, but really with any vaccine,” she continues. “Because there is no vaccine that’s 100% effective.”
The Health Department says each Wednesday, it will release the post-vaccination infection data on its COVID-19 data dashboard.
Dr. Chan says out of the three-point-two million Marylanders who are considered fully vaccinated, there 3,836 people who have tested positive for COVID-19, which is 0.12% of Maryland Residents who have been vaccinated. “Of these Marylanders who have post-vaccination infection, 454 have been hospitalized. That is 3.6% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations since January, 2021,” she says.
“53 have died, representing 3.7% of all lab-confirmed COVID-19 deaths here in the state since January,” she says. “And lastly, only 3.2% of all confirmed cases have been among the fully vaccinated, again that’s since January.”
Dr. Chan says numbers of post-vaccination infection cases, hospitalizations and deaths are “very, very low.” “About 96% of all cases cumulative since the beginning of the year are among those who are unvaccinated,” she says.
This proves that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. “The COVID-19 vaccines were designed to prevent severe disease and death, and that is exactly what they’re doing,” says Dr. Chan. “Getting vaccinated is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your families.”
If you don’t, Dr. Chan says you put yourself at risk for contracting and spreading COVID-19.
By Kevin McManus