Vaccination protects people against coronavirus infection much better than previous infection does, a team of researchers led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.
They said their findings should help settle debates over whether people who have been infected should bother getting vaccinated. They should, the researchers said.
"We now have additional evidence that reaffirms the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, even if you have had prior infection," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. The CDC noted that a Israeli study posted online in August found just the opposite -- but also noted that the Israeli study looked at people who had been vaccinated six month before or longer."Understanding infection-induced and vaccine-induced immunity over time is important, particularly for future studies to consider," they wrote.