Breakthrough Infections — and Boosters — Explained (with Jennifer Nuzzo)

In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt

Lemonada Media

News

4.6 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2021

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

So you’ve been vaccinated. And now you’re hearing that you could get infected? Or be contagious? Andy gets to the bottom of this when he calls up one of the clearest explainers he knows, Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo. They discuss why although you may get infected with SARS-CoV-2 eventually, vaccinated people are still unlikely to get COVID-19, and what that means. Plus, Andy breaks down the new recommendation about boosters.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Follow Jennifer @JenniferNuzzo on Twitter.

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Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Read more about the new recommendation that all Americans get booster shots 8 months after their second dose: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/u-s-announces-plan-offer-boosters-all-americans-starting-late-n1277059?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
The New York Times has compiled data on breakthrough infections leading to hospitalizations and deaths for 40 states and Washington, D.C. here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/08/10/us/covid-breakthrough-infections-vaccines.html
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Mental health challenges are affecting people in the US at high levels, particularly among
0:05.0	adolescents.
0:06.0	At CVS Health, mental health is just as important as physical health.
0:11.0	That's whether making mental, well-being services more accessible, less complicated, more
0:15.4	convenient, and more inviting.
0:18.0	CVS Health is doing this by creating new programs, encouraging care to discussions, and providing
0:23.2	increased access to digital tools and telehealth services.
0:27.0	CVS Health is there to help.
0:31.0	Learn more at CVS Health.com.
0:34.0	Let me know.
0:38.0	You know, I think the first thing we should do is that clarify the word breakthrough, because
0:44.6	that really has quite a negative connotation.
0:48.3	No vaccine is 100% effective.
0:52.2	Even vaccines that are really quite effective, like the mRNA vaccines, which are 94-95%
0:59.6	effective, but if you look at what that number means, it means effective against clinically
1:05.5	apparent disease.
1:07.6	So people who get infected, despite the fact that they're vaccinated, generally fall in
1:14.1	the category with some exceptions, of course, of even being minimally symptomatic or not
1:20.0	have any symptoms at all.
1:22.0	Very categorized as a breakthrough infection.
1:44.6	Welcome to the bubble.
1:45.6	I'm your host, Andy Slavitt.
	...

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