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FACT BRIEF

Is there no reason to get the COVID-19 vaccine if you have already been infected?

Wednesday, October 20, 2021
By Lisa Freedland
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
NO

Being infected with COVID-19 does confer some natural immunity. However, those who have had COVID-19 can still be reinfected. Receiving a vaccine reduces infection risk, including in individuals previously infected.

According to a Centers for Disease Control study published in August, unvaccinated individuals with a COVID-19 history "are twice as likely to get infected again" compared to those "fully vaccinated after initially contracting the virus."

A Science Magazine study published in October corroborates this, having found that COVID-19 vaccinations increased antibody levels in those with preexisting immunity, affording an "immune memory" at least six months after vaccination.

Warner Greene, a virologist at the Gladstones Institute, says individuals vaccinated post-infection have "hyper-immunity, which is like super-immunity" superior to natural immunity alone.

These findings suggest COVID-19 survivors have a reason to get vaccinated if they wish to reduce their risk of reinfection.

Sources
Centers for Disease Control New CDC Study: Vaccination Offers Higher Protection than Previous COVID-19 Infection
Science mRNA vaccines induce durable immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern
USA Today Natural immunity is good. Getting vaccinated after being sick with COVID-19 is better.
Centers for Disease Control Immunity Types
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The Gigafact Project launched in May 2020 as an in-house team at Repustar to explore new ways to support more useful and productive conversations across social and digital media. Gigafact’s editorial team continues to collaborate with Repustar developers and researchers, working to improve formats, presentation standards and engagement strategies.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.