Wyoming reports 24,423 COVID-19 breakthrough cases
Vaccinated persons can still get and spread the virus
by Pinedale Online!
February 20, 2022
Since January 1, 2021, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) has counted 24,423 cases of COVID-19 in vaccinated individuals. These are referred to as breakthrough cases.
As of February 15th, 2022, the WDH website reports the following breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated individuals for Wyoming’s 23 counties compared to their total lab-confirmed and probable COVID-19 case count. Also shown is the county overall Fully Vaccinated Rate (FVR) and the county population data as of 2019. The state’s overall fully vaccinated rate is 45% as of February 14, 2022.
Laramie: 4,329 breakthrough cases, 25,714 total cases (population 99,500, 46%FVR)
Natrona: 3,442 breakthrough cases, 21,995 cases (population 79,858, 45%FVR)
Teton: 2,811 breakthrough cases, 9,692 cases (population 23.464, 88%FVR)
Fremont: 2,726 breakthrough cases, 13,538 cases (population 39,261, 49%FVR)
Albany: 2,033 breakthrough cases, 9,757 cases (population 38,880, 55%FVR)
Sweetwater: 1,373 breakthrough cases, 10,937 cases (population 42,343, 43%FVR)
Sheridan: 1,253 breakthrough cases, 7,973 cases (population 30,485, 47%FVR)
Campbell: 1,038 breakthrough cases, 11,961 cases (population 46,341, 28%FVR)
Park: 960 breakthrough cases, 6,668 cases (population 29,148, 43%FVR)
Uinta: 754 breakthrough cases, 5,599 cases (population 20,226, 44%FVR)
Lincoln: 619 breakthrough cases, 3,927 cases (population 19,274, 40%FVR)
Carbon: 564 breakthrough cases, 4,547 cases (population 15,247, 42%FVR)
Goshen: 384 breakthrough cases, 3,542 cases (population 13,342, 37%FVR)
Converse: 339 breakthrough cases, 3,118 cases (population 13,921, 34%FVR)
Platte: 291 breakthrough cases, 1,880 cases (population 8,582, 40%FVR)
Big Horn: 283 breakthrough cases, 2,543 cases (population 11,882, 37%FVR)
Sublette: 221 breakthrough cases, 1,910 cases (population 9,880, 35%FVR)
Johnson: 219 breakthrough cases, 1,837 cases (population 8,487, 41%FVR)
Washakie: 206 breakthrough cases, 2,303 cases (population 8,027, 43%FVR)
Weston: 193 breakthrough cases, 1,532 cases (population 6,927, 37%FVR)
Hot Springs: 169 breakthrough cases, 1,135 cases (population 4,607, 50%FVR)
Crook: 131 breakthrough cases, 1,335 cases (population 7,584, 26%FVR)
Niobrara: 85 breakthrough cases, 639 cases (population 2,422, 31%FVR)
The WDH website states, "Vaccinated cases are confirmed or probably infections that occur in people who are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated people are those who completed the COVID-19 series 14 or more days before their infection. Janssen requires one dose of vaccine for the series to be complete, while Moderna and Pfizer require two doses. Unvaccinated cases refer to those confirmed or probable case in those who are not considered fully vaccinated."
Because of the way WDH counts vaccinated cases, it is somewhat confusing on actually how many breakthrough cases there have actually been in people who have had the vaccine since January 2021. If a person was vaccinated, then got COVID-19 within the two-week Janssen window or the four-week Moderna/Pfizer window before being considered fully vaccinated, they are lumped in with the unvaccinated count. WDH does not differentiate between people who never got a shot and those who did get the shot but got the virus in the window before they are considered "fully vaccinated." Because of this counting method, an unknown percentage of people who have had a vaccine, and then got the virus, are being lumped into the unvaccinated category.
That two-week/four-week vulnerability window after getting the shot and being considered fully vaccinated is especially important to understand for anyone who might be immunocompromised or have underlying health issues to be cautious and still take measures to protect themselves from potentially infectious situations. People aren’t yet considered "fully vaccinated" during that post-vaccine window because it takes time for the body to build up the immune response in their system after getting the vaccine and that takes about two weeks for optimum effectiveness.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cautions that people who have been vaccinated and boosted can still get the virus and transmit it to others. "However, since vaccines are not 100% effective at preventing infection, some people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19. People with vaccine breakthrough infections may spread COVID-19 to others."
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