UPDATED Sept 2, 2021:
While COVID-19 infections are much more common among the unvaccinated, everyone must maintain precautions in response to Delta variant
The Media Release issued on August 11 (below) reported the total number of COVID-19 cases that have occurred among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals between January 1, 2021 and August 11, 2021.
On September 1, 2021, Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Director of Clinical Programs, updated the BOH on local COVID-19 case rates, and explained that COVID-19 case management data makes it very clear that while breakthrough COVID-19 infections in fully vaccinated individuals can occur, they are much more common among individuals who are unvaccinated.
He stated that among COVID-19 cases reported in HPEC in the month of August, cases occurred five (5) times more often in individuals who were not fully vaccinated compared to fully vaccinated individuals (for each 10,000 people that were not fully vaccinated in HPEC, there were 14 cases. In comparison, for each 10,000 fully vaccinated people in HPEC, there were only 3 cases.)
It is important to note that 23% of the local cases reported in the month of August did occur in fully vaccinated individuals – reiterating the need to remain vigilant, monitor for symptoms, and if symptoms occur – stay home and seek testing.
To read the full update, please view the September 2021 Board of Health update.
Media Release: Less than 1% of COVID-19 Cases Reported in HPEPH Occurred in Fully Vaccinated Individuals
Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/August 11, 2021
Get fully vaccinated as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary illness and risk.
HPEPH has updated the local COVID-19 Dashboard to include the vaccination status of COVID-19 cases that have been reported in the region. This data indicates that, of the 1187 COVID-19 cases that have been reported in the region:
- Only 0.93% (11 cases) have occurred in individuals who are fully vaccinated*
- 5.64% (67 cases) have occurred in individuals who are partially vaccinated
- 93.43% (1109 cases) have occurred in individuals who are unvaccinated**
- 99.07% of COVID-19 cases have occurred in individuals who are not fully vaccinated
“While evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines are up to 95% effective, this local data makes it incredibly clear that COVID-19 cases are occurring very rarely in individuals who are fully vaccinated,” says Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Director of Clinical Programs at HPEPH. “Even if breakthrough infections occur in individuals who are immunized, they are significantly less likely to experience severe illness or other side effects related to the virus.”
Make the safe choice. Get your vaccine as soon as possible to protect your health and wellbeing.
All current HPEPH COVID-19 vaccine clinics are accepting walk in appointments, and pop-up clinics are being held throughout the region. Many pharmacies also continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines.For dates, locations, and vaccination options, visit hpePublicHealth.ca/vaccine-booking/. For more information about COVID-19 vaccine, visit hpePublicHealth.ca/covid-19-vaccines/. If you still have questions about the vaccine after reviewing this information, please talk to your health care provider.
*Fully vaccinated is defined as having received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine with the second dose at least 14 days prior to COVID-19 onset (if symptomatic) or positive test result (if asymptomatic).
**For some cases of COVID-19 that have been reported in HPEPH, vaccination data is not available due to data limitations. When no data is available, it is assumed that the individual has not received even one dose of vaccine and the case is classified as unvaccinated on the dashboard.
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Media Contacts:
Emily Tubbs, Communications Specialist
etubbs@hpeph.ca
About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
We invite community partners and residents to share this Media Release with their respective networks.
