Narvikk/iStock
(NEW YORK) The United States reached a major milestone this week, with the White House reporting that over half of all adults in the U.S. are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This announcement came on the same day as a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that breakthrough COVID-19 infections are exceedingly rare in fully vaccinated people.
A breakthrough infection is when a fully vaccinated person becomes infected with COVID-19.
The new CDC report shows that such breakthrough infections may occur in just 0.01% of all fully vaccinated people.
Vaccines are highly effective at preventing infection, but none are 100% protective. Even when these rare breakthroughs happen, the vaccines are still overwhelmingly effective at protecting people from being hospitalized or dying.
COVID-19 infections are exceedingly rare after full vaccination: CDC
• 5 min read
Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
This announcement came on the same day as a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that breakthrough COVID-19 infections are exceedingly rare in fully vaccinated people.
A breakthrough infection is when a fully vaccinated person becomes infected with COVID-19.
The new CDC report shows that such breakthrough infections may occur in just 0.01% of all fully vaccinated people.
Vaccines are highly effective at preventing infection, but none are 100% protective. Even when these rare breakthroughs happen, the vaccines are still overwhelmingly effective at protecting people from being hospitalized or dying.
Dr. Michelle Medina, a pediatrician and a member of the Cleveland Clinic's vaccines advisory committee, is the subject of a comprehensive Q&A with MarketWatch focused on what she's telling parents and younger teens about the COVID-19 vaccine. Plus, Cleveland Fed president Loretta Mester talks with Bloomberg TV about the state of the economy, and Politico interviews the former head of NASA Glenn, now at a company known as Sierra Space.
FDA grants COVID-19 vaccine EUA for children 12-15
News Service, Cleveland Clinic
Updated:
Tags:
Another group of Americans is now eligible to receive Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The FDA recently granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for children ages 12 to 15.
Dr. Michelle Medina, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Children’s, said research shows the vaccine works well in preventing COVID-19 and is safe for adolescents.
“The evidence that we have is that they do just as well with very little side effects and the vaccine continues to be very effective, at least in the 12-15 age group,” she said.
Medina said children and teens represent close to one-quarter of the U.S. population.
Approved or authorized ? When it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, words matter.
• 5 min read
Pfizer seeks full FDA approval of COVID-19 vaccine
About one-third of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated as the FDA weighs vaccine use for younger teens and children. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Pfizer and partner BioNTech have asked the Food and Drug Administration for full approval for their COVID-19 vaccine, a regulatory benchmark beyond the current emergency use authorization granted during the pandemic. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are expected to submit similar requests before too long.
Many are eager for COVID-19 vaccines to advance to full-approval status as they believe this will reassure those who are vaccine hesitant while also helping employers and universities to enforce vaccine mandates. It also would ensure that COVID-19 vaccines still could still be administered after the pandemic ends, and the declaration of emergency is over.