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Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021

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

Lisa Freedland, Gigafact
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.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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