PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Rhode Island woman claims she and several friends recently tested positive for COVID-19, despite the majority of them being fully vaccinated against the virus.
Lauren, a Warwick resident who asked 12 News not to use her last name, said she and seven other women tested positive for the virus after attending a bachelorette party over the Fourth of July weekend.
According to Lauren, six of the eight women, including herself, are fully vaccinated. When asked which vaccines the women received, Lauren said at least one person in the group was given the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots respectively.
While she’s home recovering from mild symptoms, Lauren claims she and her friends are being monitored by the R.I. Department of Health for the highly contagious Delta variant.
“They mentioned that they are going to flag our case because they had not seen one like this before with this many people vaccinated,” Lauren explained, adding that the group kept to themselves throughout the weekend.
Data released Tuesday by the R.I. Department of Health reveals so far, 14 people have tested positive for the Delta variant.
When asked what advice she would give to others, Lauren encouraged everyone to be careful and cognizant of their surroundings while out in public.
“Take the necessary precautions for you and your family,” she said. “Do the best that you can … but unfortunately, we did just that and we couldn’t outrun COVID.”
The most recent data from the Health Department shows “breakthrough” cases, or cases among people who are fully vaccinated, represent about 7.6% of infections in Rhode Island between May 1 and June 25.
Health officials say that while the vaccine protects against serious illness and death, a person who is vaccinated can still contract the virus and experience minor symptoms.
A spokesperson for the Health Department would not confirm nor deny whether the cases from the bachelorette party are being monitored.
