Posted on 10/21/2021 10:22:37 AM PDT by Red Badger
The sad death of Colin Powell should bring more needed attention to the phenomenon of breakthrough COVID infections of the fully vaccinated. You can choose to believe the establishment that breakthrough infections are nothing to worry about. Just a minor inconvenience because COVID vaccines are not and cannot be 100% effective. Or you can consider real world data that show how serious breakthrough infections really are.
Department of Defense study
A recent release of data from an important study by the Department of Defense merits very serious attention. It is called the Project Salus study. One indication of how important the data are is that the official website giving the data was taken down. But it is available on this site [ https://www.scribd.com/document/531564267/US-DoD-Project-Salus-Humetrix-VE-Study-2021-09-28a ]. A logical interpretation is that the federal agencies running the pandemic, namely NIH, CDC and FDA, were upset with the data that I am about to give you.
Why? Because the data undercuts the establishment argument in favor of COVID vaccines and downplaying of breakthrough infections. It should be noted that this study has received no attention by mainstream media.
The title of the report is “Effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Against the Delta Variant Among 5.6 Million Medicare Beneficiaries 65 Years and Older,” dated September 28, 2021.
The DOD study got access to the medical data for those people who were fully vaccinated. Of that group, 2.7 million got the Pfizer shot and 2.9 million got the Moderna one. Here are key findings:
* There were 161,000 breakthrough cases.
* There were 33,000 hospitalizations.
* There were 10,400 intensive care unit admissions.
* There were 3,381 deaths for a death rate of 2.1%.
The first reaction from establishment vaccine advocates is that all these numbers are very small percentages of the total sample of 5.6 million fully vaccinated people. That is correct. All that illustrates is the tyranny of small percentages when looking at health impacts of vaccines.
But there are reasons why the DOD data undercount the true negative impacts of breakthrough infections. The principal one is the study followed CDC procedure in not counting any negative health impacts occurring within 14 days of the last vaccine shot. This is important, because some analyses have found that high fractions of negative health impacts, such as vaccine induced blood problems happen within a few days of vaccination. This omission is a deliberate deception aimed solely at undercounting negative health impacts of vaccines.
It should also be noted that this study did not examine serious adverse health impacts, including death, resulting from vaccines without any COVID infection long before and possibly long after breakthrough infections. This has been detailed by this author.
Another consideration is that the DOD study was on a cohort of about 10 percent of the entire Medicare population. And it is reasonable to believe that the 65 and older demographic very likely was vaccinated to a very high degree. The New York Times said in August that at least 80 percent of people 65 and older are vaccinated in the US. Thus, the total number of deaths for this large group resulting from breakthrough infections could be large; perhaps over 10,000.
Indeed, it has been widely reported that over 80 percent of COVID deaths are in that demographic. The tragic end to Colin Powell, 84, who had two major underlying medical problems also pertains to the 65 and older population. They are especially vulnerable to having immune systems unable to block a breakthrough infection when the vaccine immunity seriously degrades. Powell surely had his initial vaccinations many months earlier.
Another cause of undercounting breakthrough deaths is that many are likely counted as only COVID deaths, not taking into account full vaccinated status
Taking all these factors into account, the total number of breakthrough deaths for the nation is likely in the 10,000 to 20,000 range. And it is rising as more vaccinated people have declining vaccine effectiveness.
The study emphasized that the above data represented a marked improvement of analogous data from March to December 2020 period when COVID was rampant and before vaccinations. For example, the death rate of 2.1 percent for breakthrough infections of the vaccinated compared to 12 percent in the pre-vaccination period.
Fine. That is correct. But consider that some 3,000 deaths for the 9/11 calamity was considered of enormous news media importance. So, why are the 3,381 deaths reported in the DOD study of little mainstream media interest?
State data
* In Massachusetts, it was reported this month that the total number of breakthrough cases was 44,498, with 345 deaths (.8%).
* In South Carolina, it was reported this month that there had been 14,992 breakthrough cases with 350 deaths, showing a much high death rate (2.3%).
* In Oregon, it was reported this month that out of 28,075 breakthrough cases there were 237 deaths (.8%).
* For Indiana, the reported number of breakthrough cases was 39,000 with 334 eaths (.8%).
* In Minnesota, the total cases reported were 32,796 with 185 deaths (.6%).
As of October 12, CDC reported 7,178 breakthrough deaths, with 85% over 65. It no longer counts all breakthrough cases, just deaths and hospitalizations. However, CDC data are notoriously unreliable. So, extrapolating the data for the above six states to the entire nation (using population data) results in 14,510 breakthrough deaths for 1.6 million cases and a death rate of .9%.
This is lower than the 2.1 percent in the DOD study; this might be explained by many breakthrough infections happening in people younger than 65 and some under-reporting of breakthrough deaths probably because they are counted as COVID deaths.
Declining vaccine effectiveness
The deaths are important because they show the true limitation of current COVID vaccines. It is now recognized that their effectiveness quickly diminishes over time. Generally speaking, after about six months they become ineffective. It was found in this study that breakthrough infection rates 5-6 months post-vaccination are twice as high as 3-4 months post-vaccination. Also noted was that the data showed mRNA vaccine effectiveness falls short of what was predicted in the drug company studies that got them FDA sanctioned, and that the Moderna vaccine was better than the Pfizer one in sustaining effectiveness.
An unpublished graph of CDC data (made available on a Rational Ground newsletter, October 14, 2021) showed a marked increase in COVID deaths in hospitals starting in April 2021, rising from 3.1 to 15.1 percent for vaccinated patients in May 2021. This corresponds to the five months since the onset of the mass vaccination program; a period when vaccines lose their effectiveness. As time goes on, more people lose protection from vaccines causing more breakthrough infections.
This serious decline in vaccine effectiveness should lead rational, objective people to conclude any vaccine that only provides just a few months of protection should not be described as a medical solution worthy of wide use and mandates. And, in terms of ineffectiveness against the delta variant, does it make sense to believe that requiring repeated booster shots of the same vaccines will produce better results? At best, they may only delay breakthrough infections.
The worsening of health outcomes after vaccination has been interpreted as resulting from damage to the immune system caused by vaccines. This is referred to as Antibody Dependent Enhancement in the medical research literature. It refers to immune system weakening from vaccines.
As to declining vaccine effectiveness it should be noted that two studies from Israel and Qatar that were published in the New England Journal of Medicine supported this threat to the fully vaccinated. And in Israel the rise of COVID-19 cases in fully vaccinated people has been reported. According to Dr. Haviv, the vaccinated account for 85-90% of all new hospitalizations and 95% of “severe” cases at the Herzog Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Impacts of being vaccinated
There have also been reports that very high fractions of hospital admission in the US are for fully vaccinated people. One whistle blower reported that where she worked that while the vaccination rate was less than 50% in the community, about 90% of hospital admissions had been fully vaccinated.
And it has been reported from several states that 40% of hospitalized COVID patients had been fully vaccinated, including from New York: Since July 1, nearly 40% of all Onondaga County residents who tested positive for the novel coronavirus had been fully vaccinated.
Recently reported for Maryland was that over the past three months in Anne Arundel County, about 30% of the people hospitalized with COVID are fully vaccinated. In neighboring Howard County health officials said roughly 30% to 40% of people hospitalized with COVID are fully vaccinated. That is a lot of breakthrough infections.
A recent report from Public Health England shows that 163 of the 257 people (63.4%) who died of the delta variant within 28 days of a positive COVID test between February 1 and June 21, had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Natural immunity
A very important finding of the DOD study that in itself deserved attention by mainstream media was that the one variable that explained substantial resistance to serious negative health impacts from breakthrough infections was natural immunity resulting from prior COVID infection.
If we want to face reality with honesty, then natural immunity must be viewed as the enemy of mass vaccination. That governments refuse to credential natural immunity as they increasingly mandate vaccination is a disgraceful rebuttal of medical science. Indeed, there is now indisputable medical evidence that natural immunity is more effective, especially against variants, and longer lasting than vaccine immunity. All this makes it a threat to mass vaccination.
St. Lukes University Hospital in Pennsylvania has recognized natural immunity by offering their workers with it at least a one-year deferment to get vaccinated. With workers in many sectors refusing vaccination even with loss of their jobs and with a huge impact on our economy and society, perhaps the federal government and major companies will be compelled to act in a similar fashion by recognizing natural immunity.
Vaccine immunity impacts
Finally, newly reported research is worth noting: High viral load was found in “158 of 232 unvaccinated (68%…) and 156 of 225 fully vaccinated (69%…) symptomatic individuals.” This means there is no difference between the symptomatic vaccinated and unvaccinated in terms of who was carrying, and therefore spreading, the virus. It also found high viral loads in “7 of 24 unvaccinated (29%…) and 9 of 11 fully vaccinated asymptomatic individuals (82%…).” Meaning, among asymptomatic individuals, the vaccinated had a higher percentage with a high viral load.
A valid conclusion is that the unvaccinated that catch the virus are more likely to be at home in bed with symptoms, while the vaccinated that catch the virus (breakthrough infection) may often have no symptoms and hence continue their daily routine unknowingly spreading the virus. This is why many medical experts refer to the vaccinated as super spreaders. Indeed, the eminent Dr. Robert Malone, inventor of mRNA vaccines, has emphasized that vaccinated people in their normal activities are “going to be spreading the virus like crazy.”
As to breakthrough infections and deaths, what must be remembered is that there is likely to be a lot of COVID virus circulating, mostly delta variant now. And that is happening as fully vaccinated people have declining vaccine effectiveness. Booster shots just delay such a loss. All of this means increasing breakthrough cases, some of which result in death, especially in the most vulnerable; that is, the elderly, those with compromised immune systems (like Colin Powell), those with serious comorbidities, including obesity.
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Dr. Joel S. Hirschhorn, author of Pandemic Blunder and many articles on the pandemic, worked on health issues for decades. As a full professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he directed a medical research program between the colleges of engineering and medicine. As a senior official at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and the National Governors Association, he directed major studies on health-related subjects; he testified at over 50 US Senate and House hearings and authored hundreds of articles and op-ed articles in major newspapers. He has served as an executive volunteer at a major hospital for more than 10 years. He is a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and America’s Frontline Doctors.
Yup—the school nurses are going to be on the front lines on this one.
They have no clue what a ^%$#storm is headed their way—especially if this gets as bad as many of us think it might...
It’s looking as if you are old and/or compromised, the vaccine is locked out. Seems whatever you do have shields you from any positive effects of the vaccine.
When they report counts of breakthrough “cases” and breakthrough hospitalizations and deaths, I sure wish they would break those counts down between the three vaccines. Now THAT would be helpful. But they don’t even though they easily could.
Something is being protected, IMHO.
I thought about that, too.
Maybe it’s ‘designed’ that way..................
Why don’t you both be a little more specific with your issue with this study (it is a study, not an article).
Do you have an issue with the methodology (Cox proportional hazards models)?
The timeline (Feb-August)?
The number of subjects (619,755)?
If you believe their analysis is flawed, provide an explanation as to why other than “it is terrible”
Or do you just not like the results?
He’s crazy. Quite mad.
Off his top. Lost his buttons.
It’s the very next sentence in the article after the sentence you quoted:
“It is now recognized that their effectiveness quickly diminishes over time. Generally speaking, after about six months they become ineffective. It was found in this study that breakthrough infection rates 5-6 months post-vaccination are twice as high as 3-4 months post-vaccination....”
Here is the study linked page
https://www.scribd.com/document/531564267/US-DoD-Project-Salus-Humetrix-VE-Study-2021-09-28a
Practically anytime something is described as “breaktrough”, it is something positive. I think somebody in the Orwell Department decided to use the term to describe bad vaccine results so the low information voters thinks it is something good, not something bad. Surely if Trump were still president, the media would be using other terms such as “failure” and counting every death as a “Trump failure”.
“Vaccine breakthrough” ranks right up there with “mostly peaceful protest” in standing the language on its head.
If they listed all the Covid vaxx side effects the “public service announcements” would be ten minutes long!
My niece is in healthcare in the NYC vicinity, and was the first person in the family to be vaccinated - with the Pfizer vaccine -back in January. Recently, before she got the Pfizer booster, she decided to have her antibody level checked. Zero. She had ZERO antibodies. I suspect that this is the situation with many of the “first in line” people who also got the Pfizer, because it was the first vaccine available. So for all practical purposes, I think Colin Powell was unvaccinated, and between his age and other health issues, he died just as so many of the elderly died in the first Covid wave. So these “breakthrough cases” aren’t really breakthrough at all, because they had no protecting from a vaccine.
That is my point. You should not trust the analysis of others over your own eyes and anecdotal life experience.
Simply look at the numbers. They do not lie.
The “vaccine our way out of this program” has failed to end the pandemic. It did help end the original variant, but we are far past that now and it did not end Delta.
I have followed this closely and read the raw data and published studies or articles from non-politicized doctors throughout the world. They are out there and you can read them yourself.
Our health institutions, bureaucracies, and medical system failed us. They chose a “vaccine or bust” approach to variant A. “A” is now gone but the virus is not.
I think all of us (me included) get caught up in the spin from both sides, but IF the vaccine worked as advertised we should have seen clear evidence of it. There is now no data that supports any efficacy against the current more transmissible strain of Covid. In fact, I don’t know of any raw numbers that show any benefit because the vaccines only worked against the original variant. It is obvious.
Lest we forget -
It was lock-down until the vaccine rollout and push and that would end the pandemic according to Fauci. They held news of the vaccine release until AFTER the election on purpose. It did work against the original variant in the short-term. Did they kill people for politics?
There is much more from Fauci.....
Fauci told us if we were vaccinated we had nothing to fear.
Oops.
Then Fauci told us that we might still contract the virus from the unvaccinated but our vaccine would protect us.
Oops x 2 and wrong again.
Then Fauci told us the vaccinated had to mask up. Lest we forget, they always said the masks stop YOU from giving the virus to others.
Oops.
Now Fauci is telling us all we need to get a booster and the truth is that it will target the current variant (Delta) which is now running its course.
What? Given what we do know, the new “booster” might protect us against the Delta variant, but using the same technology and track record do you think it will protect against the next variant? No data supports this at this point.
We now have a tacit admission that the first round of vaccines failed so what is his answer? Double down of course.
No thanks.
There is clear evidence that natural immunity is far stronger against ALL variants of the virus, but they are undeterred. Take the jab they tell them!
Why?
We have cheap drugs and treatments that have been shown by real studies to have better efficacy than the vaccine. This is a simple fact that is now indisputable for me. People can continue to ignore it, but it will not change the truth. However, it could save hundreds of thousands or even millions of lives here and around the world. It could have saved many lives since this began.
The vaccine program FAILED. The therapeutic and prophylaxis program is far more effective according to the data, but nobody makes any money off of it so they not only deny it, they tell bold-faced lies about the drugs on the WHO list of essential medications!
How many more will we kill following the corruptocrats and big pharma?
That is the only question that matters at this point.
The data is there. I too believed only months ago that my vaccine provided me with some protection. It did not. My in-laws (in their 80’s with diabetes) caught the Delta despite being double vaccinated 4 months prior. The health clinic sent them home and told them to come back if they needed supplemental O2. They were given ivermectin and monoclonal anti-bodies and both were substantially better within 24 hours and now they are both fine despite statistically being at the most extreme risks from the virus.
I firmly believe that the best tools against this virus are my doctor who believes as I do in HCQ and IVM, monoclonal anti-bodies, and proper supplements such as zinc and vitamin D.
It is quite possible that my in-laws could have beat it by simple statistics, but we chose to be pro-active against the virus in the early stages before they were trucked off to the failed medical treatment of corporate medicine that would give them remdesivir, a very expensive treatment that has failed now for over a year, with serious side effects, but is still recommended by the CDC. I suppose we will never know.....
Now they want to vaccinate children! What in the hell are they doing?
Vaccinated: Can still get Covid, can spread Covid, can end up in the hospital with Covid and can die of Covid.
Unvaccinated: Can still get Covid, can spread Covid, can end up in the hospital with Covid and can die of Covid.
Explain to me again way I should take an injection of an experimental drug that plays with my genetic makeup and screws up my innate immune system.
You should not.
The evidence is clear.
They lied and millions died.
Now we are further disrupting lives and want to jab children with an ineffective vaccine even as we continue to ignore the therapeutics that work BETTER than the vaccine.
they dont want a control group
they can blame excess deaths on other factors if there is no control group
The great mRNA experiment is over. It cannot keep you from infection, it cannot keep you from transmitting, it cannot keep you out of the hospital, it cannot keep you from dying, and does not last very long.
That is exactly right
BTTT
I object to making up things.
They did zero studies on delta variant.
Not one of their subjects was shown to have delta yet they claim their results suggest something via-a-vis the delta variant.
That’s called making things up.
They also write incoherently. Eg can you explain this sentence from the abstract:
“Patterns of breakthrough infection over time were consistent by age, despite rolling vaccine eligibility, implicating the Delta variant as the primary determinant of infection.”
These are problems. Combined with the fact these are Covid profiteering social science grants and the non-sequitur policy suggestions and the admitted goal of the study being to set policy, I don’t believe anything, per se.
Cox proportional hazard with all their adjustments (age, sex, race, ethnicity, sex [yes, twice], comorbidity [a multi-parameter score]) didn’t take in to account the biggest adjustment of all — prevalence of transmission over time.
This is a plug and chug in to pre-set templates in SAS.
The x axes don’t make sense either. Is it dates or time after vaccination?
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