But the total number of breakthrough cases is likely higher than 125,683, since nine states, including Pennsylvania and Missouri, did not provide any information, while 11, like Covid hotspot Florida, did not provide death and hospitalization totals. Four states gave death and hospitalization numbers, but not the full tally of cases.
And vaccinated adults who have breakthrough cases but show no symptoms could be missing from the data altogether, say officials
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CDC's most recent published data says that as of July 26 there have been 6,587 hospitalizations among fully vaccinated Americans and 1,263 deaths. Research by NBC News indicates that the number who have been hospitalized or died has already passed 7,300 in just the 30 states providing data.
Dr. Marcus Plescia, medical director for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, says federal and state officials are still trying to understand the breakthrough rate especially when people who take at-home tests are under no obligation to report the results to health departments. And he says while there are concerns that the percentage of breakthrough cases may be higher in the elderly and immuno-compromised than was once thought, the vaccines are still effective. "Seventy percent is still really good, it's better than most flu vaccines," he said.
While some states track breakthrough cases meticulously, others — like Missouri, where cases are surging — lack "quality statewide data," according to state officials. Other states are choosing to only release partial data.
For example, like Florida, New York is not releasing data on breakthrough deaths.
"We are continuing to investigate the number of fully vaccinated people who may have been hospitalized or passed away," :juelzgif: said Abigail Barker, spokesperson for the New York State Department of Health.
Even among states that track cases closely, officials cautioned data is likely incomplete. Vaccinated people who are infected but asymptomatic are probably largely missing from statistics.
Robert Long, spokesperson for Maine Department of Health and Human Services, said, "Those who have been fully vaccinated and have a breakthrough case but are not symptomatic and not part of a regular testing protocol may never be captured in these numbers."
The CDC is now changing tactics amid new information showing that fully vaccinated people who get Covid can transmit the virus to others.
Critics of the agency like former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, said federal officials are failing to capture the overall scope of infection of Covid cases. Gottlieb told CNBC Friday, "I suspect probably one in 10 infections is actually getting reported."