MADISON, WI (WTAQ) — State health officials have begun sharing statistics on COVID-19 infection after vaccination and booster shots.
Those numbers show that those who are vaccinations and boosted actually had a higher rate of COVID-19 infection in April than those who aren’t. DHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ryan Westergaard says they aren’t entirely sure as to why.
“There are a number of explanations, and I can’t tell you which one or more makes the data look the way they do,” said Dr. Westergaard. “People who get boosters and people who don’t get boosters are not randomly allocated. They may differ. People who get boosters may be more likely to get tested if they develop symptoms.”
The numbers released this week show that in age groups between 16 and 54, the infection rate in April for vaccinated and boosted individuals was around double that of unvaccinated people.
The death rate is significantly higher for unvaccinated people.
Westergaard says vaccine efficacy has changed–in some ways.
“It is true that the effectiveness of the vaccine at totally preventing any infection… has gone down,” Westergaard told reporters. “But the effectiveness of preventing death and severe disease has remained high.”
As such they’re still recommending vaccination.
“I wouldn’t derive any lessons from this data that makes me recommend vaccinations and booster doses any less,” Westergaard added.
You’re less likely now, Westergaard says, to acquire a serious case of COVID-19 than at any other time during the pandemic.
