Photo/Illutration People receive COVID-19 jabs at a pachinko parlor in Osaka on Sept. 13. (Tatsuo Kanai)

Vaccinated patients who contracted COVID-19 in “breakthrough” cases are much less likely to develop serious symptoms or die than unvaccinated patients, according to a study by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine.

A breakthrough infection is when vaccinated people become infected with the novel coronavirus.

Among patients 65 or older with breakthrough infections, the ratio of those who develop serious symptoms and must stay in intensive care units was about one-eighth that of unvaccinated patients, while the death rate dropped to one-third of the figure for unvaccinated patients.

The survey covered 3,417 patients who were hospitalized nationwide on or after July 1 and whose medical information was reported by Sept. 22.

The number of patients with breakthrough infections who developed symptoms after two weeks from becoming fully vaccinated was 54.

The rate of unvaccinated patients aged 65 or older who stayed in ICUs was 16.3 percent, while for breakthrough patients it was just 2.3 percent.

The death rate for unvaccinated patients was 14.7 percent while for breakthrough patients it was 4.5 percent.

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