Health official reports two Granite Staters have died of COVID after fully vaccinated

Dr. Beth Daly, head of state's Bureau of infectious Disease. (Union Leader photo)

CONCORD - A couple dozen of some 350,000 fully vaccinated Granite Staters have then contracted COVID-19 with two of those dying, the director of the state's Infectious Disease Bureau said on Thursday at the state's weekly coronavirus press conference.

The two that died were residents of elder longterm care facilities, reported Dr. Beth Daly, director of the bureau.

The number who came down with COVID-19 after being vaccinated was too small to draw any conclusions about who might be more or less likely to become infected, even 14 days after receiving their final shot, Daly said.

No conclusion can be drawn from the sampling, because it is simply too small, she noted.

Health officials have said post-vaccine illnesses are no reason not to get the vaccine, since both Pfizer and Moderna were billed as being 90-95 percent effective. Experts agree that once vaccinated people are less likely to get the disease, less likely to be hospitalized and less likely to die.

"Vaccines are near but not at 100 percent for preventing people getting COVID," Sununu said at the news conference.

Daly reported the state is nearing the 1 million mark for shots into arms with officials planning another mass vaccination site this Saturday at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

Meanwhile, DHHS announced 515 new positive test results for COVID-19, for a current PCR test positivity rate of 2.3 percent.

The newly identified cases include 98 minors and 27 from Strafford County.

DHHS also announced one additional death over 60.

COVID-19 Summary Report

NH Persons with COVID-19 92,911

Recovered 88,404 (95%)

Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 1,274 (1%)

Total Current COVID-19 Cases 3,233

Current Hospitalizations 112