The United States recently recorded over 1 million new cases of COVID in a single day. As the pandemic progresses and new strains emerge, the number of COVID cases rises, and so do breakthrough infections

Health officials say there are a couple reasons for the surge in COVID cases among vaccinated people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Omicron variant is responsible for 95% of new COVID-19 cases in the United States within the last week. While hospitalization rates are lower for the Omicron variant compared to Delta, it is more transmissible and has been spreading rapidly across the world causing many outbreaks. This combined with families gathering in close quarters over the holidays has also contributed to the surge in new cases among the vaccinated population.

While the vaccines are not 100% effective against the virus, they do provide people with more protection. People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have a lower chance of having severe symptoms, hospitalization, and death. A study conducted by the CDC in August found that unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who are vaccinated. Hospitals across the United States are reporting an increase in hospitalizations.

In the past two weeks, the COVID hospital admission rate rose by 290% in Florida. According to Dr. David Wein, chief of emergency medicine at Tampa General Hospital, more than 80% of those admitted are not fully vaccinated. “The vaccine still does a reasonably good job of protecting against hospitalization and protecting against the most serious complications from infections,” said Wein.

According to the CDC, “Efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination, in coordination with other prevention strategies, are critical to preventing COVID-19–related hospitalizations and deaths.”