An Unfortunate Choice of Words: "Breakthrough Infections"
by John Lawrence
So this is how the Phase 3 trials were carried out. "Phase 3 vaccine trials are large randomized controlled trials conducted in the community. In these trials people either receive the vaccine or a placebo. If fewer people who received the vaccine become sick compared to those who received placebo, we have direct evidence that the vaccine prevents disease." Yes, but it doesn't tell you how many of those who got the vaccine got infected or how many of those who got the vaccine got seriously ill or died. Just that it was a lesser number than those who got the placebo. Some of those who got the vaccine got seriously ill or died. However, more who didn't get the vaccine got seriously ill or died. This is how the effectiveness of the vaccine was measured. The vaccine manufacturers never claimed that, if you got the vaccine, you couldn't get infected or that you might not get seriously ill or die. They just claimed that the numbers of those who got the vaccine and got seriously ill or died would be much less than the numbers who didn't get the vaccine and got seriously ill or died.
So "breakthrough infections" is a misnomer. The vaccine doesn't prevent you from getting infected with COVID. The Phase 3 studies also didn't show how many actually got infected in the placebo group and in the vaccinated group. That data might have been helpful. It would be helpful to know how many in the vaccinated group actually got infected as well as how many of them got seriously ill or died. If the number in the placebo group who got infected was about the same as the number in the vaccinated group who got infected, then the whole concept of "breakthrough infections" is null and void.
Suffice it to say that whether or not you are vaccinated, it is a good idea to take precautions like mask wearing, staying away from large groups especially inside and avoiding contact with people who might be infected. I don't think it was a good idea to say people who were vaccinated were safe not to wear masks even inside. It seems that vaccinated people may become infected with the virus at the same rate as unvaccinated people especially if they ignore simple public health rules, and, even if they don't get seriously ill or die, why would anyone even want to take the chance of getting infected?
