The Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that eight residents who were fully vaccinated against coronavirus have died with COVID-19, including some who were inoculated while receiving end-of-life care. A coronavirus infection acquired 14 days post-final vaccination dose is considered a “breakthrough case.” 

As of June 4, the state had reported 387 such cases. Breakthrough cases are expected, the CDC has previously said, and there may be a small percentage of fully vaccinated people who still get sick, are hospitalized or die from the virus. 

A spokesperson from Maine’s CDC explained that the eight people’s deaths “met the criteria to be COVID-19 related after fully vaccinated,” but noted that these individuals “died with COVID-19, not ‘of COVID-19.’” 

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Nationwide, out of the 135 million people who have received a COVID-19 jab, there have been 3,016 hospitalized or fatal vaccine breakthrough cases reported to the CDC as of June 1. Of those cases, 535 involved deaths, 16% of which were reported as asymptomatic or not related to COVID-19. The CDC reported 23% of the hospitalizations reported were asymptomatic or not related to COVID-19. 

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“Vaccine breakthrough cases occur in only a small percentage of vaccinated people,” the CDC stated. “To date, no unexpected patterns have been identified in the case demographics or vaccine characteristics among people with reported vaccine breakthrough infections.”