Mississippi health leaders reveal ‘breakthrough cases’ as they track COVID-19
The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting 78 breakthrough cases of COVID-19.
This is when a person who is fully vaccinated becomes ill with the virus.
Of those 78 breakthrough cases, one individual died of COVID-19.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said breakthrough cases are no surprise and, in fact, they're expected.
"We knew that we would see some because it's not 100% effective at preventing any illness. So it's been, fortunately, an uncommon thing," Dobbs said.
Doctors will now try to understand by breakthrough COVID-19 cases happen.
"That's one of the things that we're following, is to look at who is being impacted with breakthrough COVID after they've been fully vaccinated," said state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers.
State health leaders said there are 635,000 fully vaccinated Mississippians and the number of breakthrough cases is comparatively low. They said that's proof the vaccines are working.