Contracting COVID-19 post-vaccine: We break down Orange County’s ‘breakthrough’ cases

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — More than 622,000 people have been vaccinated in Orange county.

Of those who have been fully vaccinated, only 273 people have contracted COVID-19.

READ: Florida reports 1,800 new COVID-19 cases, 81 virus-related deaths

Orange County health officer Dr. Raul Pino says the number of “breakthrough cases” is not unusual.

He says that the county keeps track of which brand of vaccine is associated with each case.

READ: Coronavirus: Half of U.S. adults fully vaccinated, CDC data shows

Data obtained by Channel 9 shows that more than half of the reported cases in Orange County involve people who received the Pfizer vaccine, 30% the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot and 13% the Moderna vaccine.

In two cases, the brand of the vaccine was unknown.

“So, we have seen more on Pfizer. But also, we have given more of Pfizer, so it’s kind of expected if you give more of that one,” Pino said.

READ: Coronavirus “under control” in Orange County, health officials say

In fact, more people across the country have been vaccinated with Pfizer because it was approved first and it is currently the only brand allowed for 12- to 17-year-olds.

Pino says just because there are more breakthrough cases in one brand doesn’t mean it is less effective.

“The idea is also that even when you get infected after the vaccine, the symptoms are not that bad, the disease is not that bad,” Pino said.

As of Tuesday, the state says over 17 million doses have been given out and more than 8 million people are now fully vaccinated.

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Cox Media Group