Maine CDC has Removed Breakthrough Data from State Website
COVID-19 Hospitalizations Reached Winter High
Over the last month, COVID-19 related hospitalizations in Maine have reached yet another winter high. On March 2, there were 187 hospitalized across the state, including 36 in critical care - each the highest since a surge of hospitalizations in October.
Given this surge of serious disease, it’s natural to wonder if the vaccines are offering any protection. One simple indicator has been calculating how many of those currently hospitalized are considered “breakthrough” or have been fully vaccinated. '
Unfortunately, there is no longer any way to know this vital information.
As of February 14th, the Maine CDC is no longer publishing COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Data on their website.
The ME CDC has maintained a cumulative count of COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths on the ME CDC COVID-19 Data Website. “Breakthrough” refers to those who have been infected with COVID-19 and have received the primary series of shots. These individuals are considered “fully vaccinated,” These numbers were presented along side the total counts for each category. ME CDC has updated these cumulative counts weekly since they first appeared on the site in August of 2021.
On 2/16/23 KMF observed that the data table was missing from the ME CDC’s website. Over the past week, KMF and other “ME CDC” watch dogs have been in communication with the ME CDC to understand if this was a policy change or simply an error. In at least 3 separate inquires from different individuals, the ME CDC reported that this was due to a “technical issue” with the website.
Over the last month, the ME CDC responded to an inquiry from a KMF reader that the agency had “discontinued the table display of cumulative breakthrough data as of February 14, 2023.” KMF received a copy of this communication from a dedicated reader. The names of the communication have been redacted.
By the following morning, the data table on the ME CDC’s COVID-19 Data website had been replaced with a very similar message.
The updated totals were the only data from the ME CDC that demonstrated any real world indicators of COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy. Also since August of 2021, Keep Maine Free has maintained a data log of each update allowing for a simple calculation to understand how many of the current hospitalizations and deaths were fully vaccinated. You can view the - now complete - data log here.
Timing of Data Removal Raises Questions About ME CDC Transparency
The decision to remove the data tables from the site comes at curious time.
The last update came on 2/14/23, when 176 Mainers were hospitalized for COVID-19 across the state - a high for the current winter. In what would be the last update showed an increase of 60 new hospitalizations from 2/6/23 to 2/13/23, of which 45 (or 75%) were fully vaccinated. During the same week, ME CDC reported 40 deaths associated with COVID-19, another high for this winter. Of those deaths, 80% (35 of 40) were fully vaccinated according to the Breakthrough Data Updates (SOURCES: ME CDC COVID-19 Breakthrough Data, 02/06/23 and 02/13/23 Updates).
These numbers were not just a high for Maine, as reported by KMF, hospitalizations and deaths were a high for the entire country. When the ME CDC removed this data, NYT COVID-19 Data showed that Maine had the highest recent death rate and the 5th highest hospitalization rate among US States.
As of 3/14, the rate of hospitalization in Maine has increased to 14 per 100k residents, good enough for 3rd highest in the nation.
Maine CDC also reported 40 additional deaths related to COVID-19 over the last 4 weeks.
Since the ME CDC has removed this data, it is now impossible know exactly how many of these recent hospitalizations or deaths are fully vaccinated or unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated.
However, we can assume that at least 3 of 4 are fully vaccinated by following the 12 month trend. Dating back to March of 2022, 73% (1816 of 2491) of all COVID-19 related hospitalizations have been fully vaccinated (Click here to view the complete ME CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Data Log).
The chart below demonstrates there is virtually no difference between the rate of vaccination, hospitalization and death related to COVID-19 over the past 11 months in Maine.
So why is has the ME CDC decided that now is the time to remove this data from it’s website?
The statement replacing the data seems to raise more questions. Let’s read it again.
It sites 2 reasons why the breakthrough data is no longer “helpful.”
First, this statement claims that 83.4% of the population is finished the “primary series” of the vaccine. However, a quick check of the ME CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard shows that only 76.3% have received the primary series of shots. Why the discrepancy?
It also states that tracking “breakthrough cases is no longer a helpful way to know the burden of disease.”
Agreed. Tracking “cases" on a population level has not been helpful since January of 2022. At-home testing become widely available at that time and the omicron variant boosted cases nationwide among the general population. It was clear at that point that the vaccines no longer - if ever - protected against infection. Breakthrough Cases totaled just 20,909 in December of 2021. By April, that number had nearly quadrupled.
Notice that there is no mention of Breakthrough hospitalizations or deaths in the ME CDC’s explanation. Instead of the data, the statement concludes with encouraging the reader to stay “up to date” with COVID-19 vaccines to protect “you from hospitalization and death.”
For nearly a year, 3 out of 4 hospitalizations (1816 to 675) and deaths (529 to 184) related to COVID-19 in Maine have been fully vaccinated. Each received the “primary series” of vaccines as recommended by Dr. Shah and the Maine CDC. Each trusted that it would protect them against “most severe impacts” of the disease.
In total, 971 Fully Vaccinated Mainers have died of/with COVID-19.
Maine CDC has removed this data from their website, replacing it with more propaganda. In doing so, they have erased each Fully Vaccinated Mainer who were not protected against the severe impacts of COVID-19, including 131,234 that were infected, 2,729 that were hospitalized and 971 that died.
Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine CDC, Commissioner Lambrew, Governor Mills and the legacy media of Maine are attempting to erase the memories of our neighbors, friends and family members. The Breakthrough data demonstrated a very recent history of their failure and dishonesty. Our leaders are now attempting to reshape that history in their image by sweeping the reality of nearly 1000 documented deaths of Mainers.
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The ME CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Data is chronicled and logged by KMF. It exists and - like the people it represents - is vital to remembering and respecting the lives that have been forever changed, regardless what the official website states. We will not forget costly realty of failed pandemic policies and refusal to acknowledge vaccine failure.
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Live not by lies. Seek the Truth.
Yes! Thank you! How can we demand the data be released?