[FALSE] Are the vaccinated more likely to catch COVID-19 than the unvaccinated?

Screenshot of the Facebook post.

The Claim and Our Verdict

• The claim: A Facebook post published Sept. 7, 2021 claims that the vaccinated are more likely to catch COVID-19 than the unvaccinated.
• Fact-checking:
  • The Bloomberg article cited in the post claims vaccinated people appear to be getting the coronavirus at a surprisingly high rate. It compares the actual infection rate of the vaccinated with the rate previously thought, rather than the infection rate between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.
  • According to the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 vaccines produce protection against the disease. As a result of developing immunity through vaccination, there is a reduced risk of developing the illness and its consequences.
  • According to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the data updated Sept. 15, 2021 shows fully vaccinated persons are less likely than unvaccinated persons to acquire the coronavirus. The unvaccinated are more likely to transmit delta variant than the vaccinated, if infected.
• Our ruling: Therefore, we rate the claim as FALSE.

News Brief

A Facebook post published Sept. 7, 2021, claims the vaccinated are more likely to catch COVID-19 than the unvaccinated. Attached to the post is a link to a Bloomberg article titled “The vaccinated are worried and scientists don’t have answers.”

As of the issuance of this report, the post had been shared 32 times, and had received 5 comments and 116 likes or reactions.

Fact-checking

The Bloomberg’s article cited in the post was published Aug. 21, 2021. The first paragraph reads, “Anecdotes tell us what the data can’t: Vaccinated people appear to be getting the coronavirus at a surprisingly high rate. But exactly how often isn’t clear, nor is it certain how likely they are to spread the virus to others.” But it doesn’t mention anything pertinent to the claim, i.e., the vaccinated are more likely to catch COVID-19 than the unvaccinated.

The second paragraph says, “Though it is evident vaccination still provides powerful protection against the virus, there’s growing concern that vaccinated people may be more vulnerable to serious illness than previously thought.” It compares the actual infection rate of the vaccinated with the rate previously thought, but there’s no comparison of the infection rate between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. 

According to WHO’s answer to the benefits of getting vaccinated, the COVID-19 vaccines produce protection against the disease, as a result of developing an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 (the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19). Developing immunity through vaccination means there is a reduced risk of developing the illness and its consequences.

Screenshot of the WHO’s Q&A article.

A science brief article about COVID-19 vaccines, published Sept. 15, 2021 by the United States’ CDC, shows fully vaccinated persons are less likely than unvaccinated persons to acquire SAR-CoV-2, and infections with delta variant in vaccinated persons potentially have reduced transmissibility than infections in unvaccinated persons, although additional studies are needed. In conclusion, there’s no evidence showing the vaccinated are more vulnerable to the coronavirus than the unvaccinated.