On April 8, OHA announced that it had identified 168 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon through April 2, including three deaths.

Vaccine breakthrough cases are defined as instances in which an individual received a positive COVID-19 test result at least 14 days after the final dose of their respective COVID-19 vaccine.

OHA public health officials say it’s a reminder that while the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are all highly effective at preventing severe COVID-19 illness and death, no vaccine is 100% effective, and vaccine breakthrough cases will occur.

Fortunately, these cases remain uncommon.

The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon (168) represents a very small proportion of the more than 700,000 people in Oregon who have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

OHA also noted that vaccine breakthrough cases can be prevented through our trusted safety measures, such as masking, physical distancing and avoiding social gatherings.

To learn more, you can read the full press release here.

This article first appeared in the April 8, 2021 issue of Oregon Coronavirus Update.