Article alleges health officials hid evidence of breakthrough COVID-19 infections

Vaccine opponents have used false claims about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines to undermine vaccination efforts since the vaccines’ rollout. The persistence of these claims and their potential to discourage vaccination increases their risk. Debunking messaging may explain that the claims in the article are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of vaccine efficacy. No COVID-19 vaccines had 100 percent efficacy,  so some breakthrough cases were expected. This is true of every vaccine. 

Clinical trial data included breakthrough data, and the CDC began reporting breakthrough infections as soon as vaccines were rolled out. Emphasizing that studies have consistently demonstrated that unvaccinated people are at far higher risk from COVID-19 than vaccinated people is recommended. During the period discussed in the article, nearly all COVID-19 deaths and a large majority of hospitalizations were among unvaccinated people. It is indisputable that vaccines saved millions of lives worldwide.

Fact Checking Source(s): CIDRAP, Common Wealth Fund