Should Vaccinated People Start Wearing Masks Again?

With daily reports of breakthrough infections and the rise of the Delta variant, vaccinated people may need to take a few more precautions. Here’s what you need to know.

  Six Important Things to Know About Breakthrough Infections

As the Delta variant likely drives more cases of Covid-19 in vaccinated individuals, experts weigh in with helpful information.

  What it feels like to get Covid-19 after being vaccinated

Breakthrough infections are uncommon — which makes them all the more confusing for people who experience them.

 Catching Covid-19 after being vaccinated isn’t a myth. It happened to me

While vaccination confers essentially 100% protection from Covid-19-related hospitalization and death, it doesn’t entirely prevent people from catching the infection in the first place.

 Getting COVID after vaccination is really rare—and likely to be more mild

Breakthrough cases are still possible, so we need to remain vigilant.

 Got the vaccine? Experts say you can relax about your Covid-19 risk now. Really.

I asked health experts about their post-vaccination lives. Most no longer worry about their own risk of Covid-19.

 Keep an eye on breakthrough Covid-19 cases. But don’t freak out

Some vaccinated people have gotten Covid-19. That’s expected. Let’s explain.

 Reports of Severe Covid or Death After Vaccination Are Rare, but Not Unexpected

No vaccine is ever 100 percent effective, experts say, stressing that the shots remain critical in reducing severe disease and death from the coronavirus.

 The Really Surprising Thing About Fully Vaccinated People Who Get COVID-19

The number of so-called breakthrough cases we’re seeing is even lower than expected.

 Vaccines working as expected in preventing Covid deaths, say experts

Two people under 50 and more than 100 over-50s have died of Covid after being fully vaccinated, official figures for England show, as experts said the jabs were working as expected amid surging infection rates attributed to the Delta variant.

 What You Should Know About the Possibility of COVID-19 Illness After Vaccination

COVID-19 vaccines are effective. However, a small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus that causes it. These are called “vaccine breakthrough cases.” This means that while people who have been vaccinated are much less likely to get sick, it will still happen in some cases. It’s also possible that some fully vaccinated people might have infections, but not have symptoms (asymptomatic infections). Experts continue to study how common these cases are.

Don’t Be Surprised When Vaccinated People Get Infected

Post-immunization cases, sometimes called “breakthroughs,” are very rare and very expected.

Risk of covid-19 infection plummets 21 days after a vaccination

The chance of getting covid-19 after being vaccinated drops sharply 21 days following a first dose, new analysis suggests. People who become infected post-vaccination are also less likely to have symptoms than those who test positive for the virus and haven’t been jabbed.

Vaccinated People Who Get Infected Carry Less Covid-19 Virus, CDC Researchers Say

Findings help explain why breakthrough infections among the immunized tend to be milder than cases among the unvaccinated

Why 'Breakthrough' Infections Even After COVID-19 Vaccinations Shouldn’t Be Surprising

As a result of these new data, the CDC has told states and local health departments they no longer need to report all cases of breakthrough infections, and instead to just notify CDC when these cases result in hospitalization, severe disease or death.

Yes, you can be vaccinated and still get Covid-19. But don’t panic.

We’re only talking about Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough infections because the pandemic is still raging.

You're Vaccinated. Cool! Now About Those 'Breakthrough' Infections...

"As long as the virus is not circulating and there's a high enough vaccine immunity in the community, then the risk is minimal, but if there is ongoing transmission at high levels it's still possible to get infected," says Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of adult and pediatric infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. "So that risk is still there and as we get more people vaccinated and the community spread goes down, the risk of breakthrough infections goes down significantly."