Health Tip for the Week, sponsored by Baton Rouge General: What is a COVID breakthrough case?

You’ve heard the term breakthrough case, but what does it mean? Simply put, it means a person tests positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. As important as vaccines are, they aren’t perfect, and effectiveness may change over time as variants emerge. For example, the Pfizer vaccine was 95% effective at preventing COVID infections in clinical trials, but as the virus mutates, that effectiveness may change. The good news is that breakthrough infections tend to be mild and have fewer symptoms. The majority of those hospitalized for COVID-19 are unvaccinated. As the delta variant spreads through our area, please be cautious in public.

Learn more about breakthrough cases