Data shows 3 more deaths among Whatcom’s vaccinated, but COVID infection rate cut in half

The weekly COVID-19 infection rate among Whatcom County’s fully vaccinated population dropped by more than half during the first week of February, but three of the four most recent COVID-related deaths in the county were among fully vaccinated residents.

The three deaths, which occurred between Jan. 30 and Feb. 5, were all women older than 50, according to the Whatcom County Health Department’s latest COVID-19 Data Report released Friday, Feb. 11, including one in her 50s, another in her 60s and a third in her 80s. The one death among the county’s unvaccinated population was a man in his 60s, the health department reported.

Seeing more deaths among Whatcom’s fully vaccinated population is not surprising as the percentage of residents who are fully vaccinated increases, the health department noted.

St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 30 COVID-related patients on Wednesday, Feb. 16, down two from its last report and the fewest it has reported since it had 29 COVID-related patients on Dec. 29.