NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New York City is seeing some breakthrough cases of COVID-19, but newly-released data shows such occurrences are rare.
"We have new data today that's really helpful and it helps you to recognize just how powerful vaccination is," Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday as he announced that among fully vaccinated New Yorkers, only one-third of 1% have tested positive for the coronavirus between January 17 and August 17.
"Yes, there are some breakthrough cases, that's true, but, the bottom line is vaccine overwhelmingly works in the things we care about the most," de Blasio said. That includes stopping hospitalizations and death.
"It makes clear that vaccines continue to be extremely effective, not just effective, extremely effective," de Blasio added.
Additionally, people who are unvaccinated accounted for 96.1% of all COVID-19 cases, 96.9% of hospitalizations and 97.3% of deaths.
"Unvaccinated people are at least 13 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 compared to fully vaccinated people," City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said.
The numbers don't account for the domination of the delta variant and Chokshi noted a slight uptick in breakthrough cases more recently, but nothing major.
"This is likely due to the more contagious delta variant, as well as higher levels of community transmission overall," Chokshi said. "Here is the common sense bottom line, vaccines keep you alive and out of the hospital."
At his briefing, de Blasio aslo announced a new incentive for younger New Yorkers to get vaccinated.
Limited edition "Avengers" comics will be available, while supplies last, to students 12 and up who get their shot at the city-run vaccine sites in Times Square, Maria Hernandez Park in Brooklyn and the site at East 149th Street in the Bronx.
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