Colin Powell's Blood Cancer Made Him Vulnerable to Covid-19

Politics|Powell, whose immune strategy was weakened, died of Covid-19 contempt being vaccinated.

• Oct. 18, 2021Updated 10:52 a.m. ET

Colin L. Powell, whose immune strategy was weakened by attraction for aggregate myeloma, died of complications of Covid-19 contempt being “fully vaccinated,” his household said successful a statement.

Peggy Cifrino, Mr. Powell’s longtime aide, said that helium had been successfully treated for aggregate myeloma, a crab of achromatic humor cells successful the bony marrow.

The family’s connection did not supply further details astir the complications oregon underlying wellness conditions. It said helium was treated astatine Walter Reed National Medical Center. Other details astir his wellness were not released, including whether helium had received a booster shot, oregon erstwhile helium had been vaccinated against the virus.

People with aggregate myeloma person compromised immune systems and are frankincense astatine greater hazard of processing terrible Covid-19. Vaccines are besides apt to beryllium little effectual successful these patients.

In a survey published successful July, researchers recovered that conscionable 45 percent of those with progressive aggregate myeloma “developed an capable response” aft receiving either the Pfizer-BioNTech oregon Moderna vaccines.

Although the shots are captious successful reducing terrible illness and decease from the coronavirus, specified outcomes are not unexpected. No vaccine is 100 percent effective, experts say.

As The New York Times reported recently, terrible Covid is uncommon successful radical who person been afloat vaccinated.

In June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it had received reports of 10,262 breakthrough infections by April 30 — a tiny fraction of the 101 cardinal Americans who had been vaccinated by that date. (The bureau noted that it apt represented “a important undercount” of breakthrough infections.)

Of those breakthrough cases, 2 percent died — and successful immoderate of those cases, patients were hospitalized oregon died from thing unrelated to Covid-19. The median property of those who died was 82.