Those who have had the coronavirus and have been vaccinated appear to have more immunity than those who have only had the vaccine, a new Oregon Health and Science University study found.
Dr. William Messer, a molecular microbiologist at OHSU, said the study found that those previously infected may possess broader immunity toward the virus and its variants, local ABC News affiliate KATU-TV reported.
“We found that there is an advantage to having COVID and getting the vaccination afterward,” Messer said, KATU reported. “We saw their antibody titers went up to levels that were higher than the average antibody titers for people who had just been vaccinated and hadn’t had COVID.”
The amount of time from infection to vaccination varied dramatically in the study subjects, with antibodies being detected as far out as two or three months.
“We’re able to see antibodies in people who were symptomatic with COVID-19 up to nine months after infection,” Messer said, KATU reported. “The antibody titer, while they come down rapidly at first, hang around at a lower level for almost a year.”
Messer said the point of the study is everyone benefits from a vaccination, regardless of previous infection.
“Don’t assume that you don’t need a vaccine because you’ve had COVID-19,” he said. “You don’t get the same degree of antibody production from the natural infection as you do from the vaccine.”
