FDA: Only 735 out of 11.7 million vaccinees contract COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 735 vaccinated individuals, including 65 who later died, contracted COVID-19, out of the over 11.7 million inoculated people in the country, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Wednesday.

According to FDA Director-General Eric Domingo, 546 individuals who were partially vaccinated or have received only one dose of a two-dose vaccine still got infected with the coronavirus as of August 1. Of this number, 61 who were vaccinated with Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V have died.

Meanwhile, 51 people still had COVID-19 within 14 days after getting their second dose, of which two vaccinees who were given the Sinovac vaccine died.

Some 116 people also got the virus more than 14 days after their second dose, including an elderly man who died despite being fully vaccinated with Sinovac. The 116 breakthrough infections were recorded across different brands of vaccines.

COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals (Data from FDA)

Domingo said that another 22 vaccinated individuals, including one vaccinated with Pfizer who later died, got COVID-19, although it was not verified if they were partially or fully vaccinated before they got infected.

The FDA chief stressed that the figures have to be taken into context.

“We have to put this into perspective. Itong 735 [infected individuals] and 65 [deaths], out of 11 million ito na nabakunahan na natin for the past six months,” he said in an online media briefing.

(We have to put this into perspective. These 735 infected individuals and 65 deaths are out of the 11 million we have vaccinated for the past six months.)

Domingo’s data was as of August 1, when only 20.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have so far been administered. Of this number, 11.7 were given as the first dose. There were 9.1 million fully vaccinated individuals in the country as of that date.

According to FDA’s data, there are 7 million people partially vaccinated and 5 million fully vaccinated with Sinovac, 3 million partially vaccinated and 908,113 fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, 249,708 partially vaccinated and 64,167 fully vaccinated with Sputnik V, 1.2 million partially vaccinated, and 1 million fully vaccinated with Pfizer, 76,207 partially vaccinated and 23,528 fully vaccinated with Moderna, and 1.9 million fully vaccinated with Janssen.

Domingo explained that breakthrough infections are cases that were detected more than 14 days after the second dose. Of the 116 breakthrough infections, 88 percent are mild and asymptomatic, 11 percent were hospitalized, and only one percent died.

He said breakthrough infections reported to FDA compose only 0.0013 percent of the 9.1 million fully vaccinated individuals.

According to Domingo, “breakthrough infection cases can still occur in a small percentage of fully vaccinated individuals but less severe.”

“Maximum protection sets in two weeks after the second shot,” he added, reminding that vaccinated individuals should still practice health protocols.

Health experts have been pointing out that while vaccines do not offer complete protection against infection, it can prevent severe cases and deaths among the vaccinated.

Domingo reiterated that the COVID-19 vaccine is effective and is a critical tool to control the pandemic.

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/MUF