77 Percent of People in Mumps Outbreak Were Vaccinated Against the Disease
February 14th, 2010The following statements appear in the CNN article below:
“Of the New Jersey cases, 77 percent were vaccinated, Terjesen said.”
and
“The vaccine is 76 to 95 percent effective, the CDC says on its Web site.”
HAHA. Woops.
Via: CNN:
Lakewood, New Jersey, Rabbi Yehunda Pirutinsky was surprised when his 14-year-old son was diagnosed with mumps a week ago. Lakewood is in Ocean County.
“He was completely vaccinated,” Pirutinsky said. “So it was a surprise to us he came down with mumps.”
Anyone fully vaccinated from mumps receives two doses of the vaccine, according to the CDC. Of the New Jersey cases, 77 percent were vaccinated, Terjesen said.
But the vaccine is not 100 percent effective, according to the CDC. At two doses, the vaccine is 76 to 95 percent effective, the CDC says on its Web site.
“Of the New Jersey cases, 77 percent were vaccinated, Terjesen said.”
and
“The vaccine is 76 to 95 percent effective, the CDC says on its Web site.”
This is not necessarily contradictory. It depends on the percentage of people vaccinated. I’m having trouble finding precise data on this, but it seems to be in the 90s.
I did a quick calculation, assuming 90% had been vaccinated. I got a protection rate of 62.8% If vaccination rates are at 95%, we get past 80% effectiveness (all this assuming the same risk for people who are non-vaccinated and people whose vaccinations failed).
Not the advertised 95%, but still pretty good.