Two more vaccinated senators test positive for COVID-19

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

published 19 August 2021

Another two U.S. senators have disclosed breakthrough cases of COVID-19.

Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) on Thursday both said they tested positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. In a statement, King said that he began "feeling mildly feverish" on Wednesday and tested positive "despite all my efforts" to follow public health precautions since the beginning of the pandemic.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has been expected that there would be a "small percentage of fully vaccinated people who still get sick, are hospitalized, or die from COVID-19," though such cases are rare, and the CDC notes that there's "evidence that vaccination may make illness less severe for those who are vaccinated and still get sick." The CDC has only reported 8,000 breakthrough cases that resulted in severe disease or death among 166 million fully vaccinated Americans, CNN reports.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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