Three people in Hawaii who have been fully vaccinated tested positive for COVID-19 – but health officials are still asking everyone to be bitten.
The individuals were infected after receiving both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, the KITV news station reported.
In all three cases, the patients did not become seriously ill – and it does not appear that they passed the virus on to another person, the state Department of Health said.
One of the patients was a health professional on Oahu who completed his vaccination regimen in early January 2021.
About a month later, the worker traveled to several U.S. cities, the agency said.
Following the travel protocol, the health worker and his travel companion were tested for the virus before returning to Hawaii.
But they did not know that the test was positive until they both returned to the state, health officials said.
Dr. Melinda Ashton of Hawaii Pacific Health said the case is a reminder of the risks associated with travel, even if you are vaccinated against the virus.
“It is absolutely necessary to be careful when you are at the airport, on the plane, with other people in larger groups,” Ashton told the agency.
The authorities added that it is not surprising that some vaccinated Hawaiians tested positive for the virus.
“Remember, 95% of people get immunity with vaccines and 5% not with Moderna and Pfizer vaccines,” Governor Josh Green told the KHON2 news station.
“Some people are going to dive into it and say, oh, so the vaccine doesn’t work. Does not work. It works with a large percentage of people, but not with everyone and that is an important message, ”added Green.
