CBS NEWS – Unvaccinated people who had survived a previous COVID-19 infection were more than five times more likely to be reinfected with the virus compared to those who were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
The finding comes from data published Friday in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, examining records of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms in the agency’s “VISION Network” of hospitals spanning nine states.
The study’s authors said their findings showed “vaccine-induced immunity was more protective than infection-induced immunity” among patients who had their first bout of the disease or were vaccinated three to six months earlier.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement:
“We now have additional evidence that reaffirms the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, even if you have had prior infection.
“This study adds more to the body of knowledge demonstrating the protection of vaccines against severe disease from COVID-19.”
Earlier this year, the CDC published data from Kentucky suggesting the unvaccinated were more than two times more likely to be reinfected, compared to those who were fully vaccinated.
The study published Friday includes data from after the surge in the fast-spreading Delta variant, which now makes up virtually all U.S. cases of the disease.
The analysis did not include adults who received Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, who are currently recommended to receive a booster shot at least two months after they were first vaccinated.
Protection from Moderna’s vaccine “appeared to be higher” than for Pfizer’s vaccine, the CDC study’s authors noted. The boost in protection from vaccination also “trended higher” among seniors, compared to adults under 65 years old … READ MORE.
