Breakthrough infections in older adults

[fadingfast]

Do you know of any older adults (70+) who are double vaccinated but who have recently tested positive? Or any who have been exposed through contact with an infected person but who have not tested positive?

I am really worried about the possibility of infecting my mum (late 70s) when we go and visit her. We are double jabbed ourselves (me and DH) but two teenage DC not vaccinated. We always do a lateral flow test before we visit, but these are obviously not very reliable. We are due to go on holiday with her in a couple of weeks and I am petrified that we will pass it on to her. She is in good general health, but I just wondered if anyone had any direct experience of an older (vaxxed) relative testing positive but only having mild symptoms? I suppose I’m just seeking some reassurance that even in her age group, the vaccines are still working well.

I honestly don’t think I could live with myself if we passed it on to her, but equally she is keen that we visit.

My grandma who is 92 has had it twice. Once last October, once last month. She’s double vaccinated. She’s had zero symptoms and was only picked up through routine testing for hospital appointments!

Someone I know works in a care home, a lot of residents recently caught covid, only one had mild symptoms, the rest wouldn’t have known, but they are tested twice weekly.

I know of several double vaccinated people in their late eighties who caught Covid whilst in hospital recently. Neither had symptoms.

If you are double vaccinated the chances of getting it badly are very small.
Why not ask your Mum whether she’d rather be locked away from everyone, living in fear of catching a probably mildish infection, or whether she’d rather go on holiday?
She’s not a child, she can do the necessary risk assessment!

The vaccine doesn't prevent Covid getting into your nose or throat. It sets your body up to deal with it quickly.

Covid RNA can still be found on testing in a double vaccinated person if they have encountered it recently, but, unless they have a problem with their immune response, they should not become very unwell as they will have antibodies to inactivate the Covid before it makes them ill. Depending on the person's immune response they may become slightly or even moderately unwell while they fight the infection, but their bodies should be able to prevent bad illness after vaccination.

So you are feeling you 'couldn't live with yourself' if she had a slight or maybe moderate cold if you had active Covid RNA and passed it to her. How would you (or she) feel about denying her a family holiday to prevent the possibility of a day or two of her feeling a little under the weather? Or do you have reason to believe her immune response would be inadequate?

Grandma. 80. Very poor health
Not jabbed at the time

Was in hospital 3 days but was fine

Thanks for the examples you’ve shared, which are very reassuring. To be clear, we are not stopping or discouraging my mum from seeing us, but it makes me feel quite anxious that even though she is jabbed, she could still be vulnerable to an infection due to her age. I know this is all about my own anxieties, and I’m struggling to know how to handle it going forward as things are not going to change given that vaccines don’t prevent transmission.