ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOX) - St. Louis County health officials are reminding the public that these COVID-19 vaccines aren't 100% effective and that some people are contracting the virus after being fully vaccinated.
Officials say they've discovered 71 people who have contracted COVID-19 even though they were fully vaccinated. Officials say it proves people still need to take precautions even after they're vaccinated.
They say such instances – called breakthrough infections – are extremely rare. As of Monday morning, 230,781 people in St. Louis County have been fully vaccinated, according to data from the state. That's about 23.2% of the population. And of those who have been fully vaccinated, 0.03% of them have since tested positive for COVID-19.
A breakthrough infection is defined as someone who is infected more than two weeks after they're fully vaccinated. Experts say the number of breakthrough infections in St. Louis is in line with expectations.
Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated there were 5,814 reports of breakthrough infections. Which is 0.008% of the more than 75 million people fully vaccinated.
St. Louis County says people should still follow public safety guidelines after vaccination to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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