This is a great benefit of vaccinating after COVID-19

It is recommended that anyone who can receive the COVID-19 vaccine still have some questions about those who have already contracted the virus. People who have dealt with COVID-19 infections have some level of immunity that is similar to the protection afforded by the vaccine.

Now new data suggests that those who have had COVID-19 and received the vaccine may experience the best immunization of all.

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The data comes from a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that looked at the effects of the Delta variant in a Texas prison where three-quarters of those in prison were infected. Prisons have long been virus-rife rooms, largely due to poor ventilation and a lack of preventive measures.

About 80% of those detained were fully vaccinated, showing how common the breakthrough of COVID-19 is in these enclosed environments. It also shows how important it is for prisons and other enclosed spaces to have additional COVID-19 prevention measures in addition to efficient vaccinations.

Photo by Grant Durr via Unsplash

One of the highlights of the study was the shared effect of receiving the vaccine and maintaining the natural immunity granted by a previous COVID-19 infection. While the vaccine provided significant immunity and prevented serious illnesses, the best protected were those who had a history of COVID-19 infection and were later vaccinated.

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Despite the caution surrounding the COVID-19 issue and then getting the vaccine, the CDC has been advising for months that this is the right thing to do. Compared to vaccine immunity, “natural” immunity is no safer; The latter is better controlled and understood, especially since the pandemic is still ongoing and it is not known how long natural immunity will last.

But perhaps the most important discovery the study made was the importance of COVID-19 prevention methods and how they, coupled with proper vaccination, are able to protect people. While we are all fed up with these containment strategies, they remain as important as they were when the pandemic began.