COVID-19 infections are exceedingly rare after full vaccination: CDC • 5 min read Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.Spencer Platt/Getty Images This announcement came on the same day as a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that breakthrough COVID-19 infections are exceedingly rare in fully vaccinated people. A breakthrough infection is when a fully vaccinated person becomes infected with COVID-19. The new CDC report shows that such breakthrough infections may occur in just 0.01% of all fully vaccinated people. Vaccines are highly effective at preventing infection, but none are 100% protective. Even when these rare breakthroughs happen, the vaccines are still overwhelmingly effective at protecting people from being hospitalized or dying.