Upon hearing that Colin Powell died from COVID complications, the medical community immediately came to the vaccine's defense.

“They are incredible at reducing the likelihood that COVID will progress to severe illness and potentially die from COVID, but they’re not 100%," said David Hirschwerk, an infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health.

Hirschwerk said it's unfortunate the former Secretary of State was fully vaccinated, but his comorbidities put him at risk.

“By and large, people who do receive the vaccine are protected against developing severe illness," said Hirschwerk. "But the few who do have severe breakthroughs really fit the characteristics of Colin Powell.”

Powell suffered from Parkinson’s and multiple myeloma, a cancer that develops in plasma cells, which help people fight infections.

“That is an underlying condition that really is associated with challenges to the immune system and developing antibodies," Hirschwerk said.

Powell’s underlying health conditions combined with his advanced age fall in line with others who suffer from breakthrough cases.

“The combination of having myeloma and being 84 years old — it’s great that he was vaccinated, but that is the group of patients that we’re not shocked when we see have breakthrough cases," said Hirschwerk.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there have been 7,000 breakthrough cases of COVID that have resulted in death through Oct. 12 That’s about .004% of all fully-vaccinated Americans. And 85% of those cases were among people over 65.

“When we see people in the hospitals who are fully vaccinated and develop severe illness such that they’re in our ICU, more often than not, it’s because they are of advanced age," Hirschwerk said.

Hirschwerk said the best way to protect oneself from COVID is to get the booster shot if eligible.

“Someone who has an underlying cancer, who is receiving active treatment, would be in the category of having a severe, immunocompromised state, and the expectation and hope for someone like that would be a third dose of the MRNA vaccine," he said.

The CDC also says unvaccinated people over the age of 80 are five times more likely to die from COVID than those who are fully vaccinated.