Unvaccinated people who were previously infected with COVID-19 were about twice as likely to be reinfected than those who were fully vaccinated after they got the virus, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The findings show that people who got the coronavirus are not immune from getting it again, taking away an argument that the virus gave them antibodies and therefore don’t need to get vaccinated.
If you have had COVID-19 before, please still get vaccinated,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement Friday. “This study shows you are twice as likely to get infected again if you are unvaccinated. Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others around you, especially as the more contagious delta variant spreads around the country.”
The study included hundreds of Kentucky residents with previous infections and found that those who were not vaccinated had 2.34 times the chances of getting reinfected compared to those who were fully vaccinated, the CDC said.
A separate study also found that vaccines prevented COVID-19 hospitalizations for the highest risk age groups, the CDC said Friday.
As of Thursday, 58.2% of the U.S. population had received at least one COVID-19 dose while 49.9% were fully vaccinated, CDC data shows. Among U.S. adults, 70.4% were at least partially vaccinated while 60.8% were fully vaccinated.
