2 more 'breakthrough' infections reported, total now at 31

SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has confirmed two more cases of so-called breakthrough COVID-19 infections, health authorities said Tuesday, raising its total to 31.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said among 2.17 million people who have been fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving either the vaccine from Pfizer or AstraZeneca, a total of 31 people had tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of Thursday.

The figure translates into 1.43 for every 100,000 being reinfected even after being fully vaccinated, which is far lower than the 10.2 in the United States, according to the authorities.

A "breakthrough case" is when a person is diagnosed with COVID-19 even after receiving a vaccine shot.

Among the 31 breakthrough cases, 20 patients had received the Pfizer vaccine, while the rest were administered with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

By age group, 12 cases were from those aged 80 and older, followed by six cases from people in their 50s.

So far, there have been no deaths and critically ill patients from breakthrough infections, according to the KDCA.

As of Tuesday, a total of 15.03 million people, or 29.3 percent of the country's 51.3 million population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines. Four million, or 8.1 percent of the population, have been fully vaccinated.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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