CDC Finds mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Provide More Immunity Than Prior Infection

The results from a CDC study show that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are associated with significantly more immunity than a prior COVID-19 infection.

“[These] data provides powerful evidence that vaccinations offer superior protection against COVID-19 than relying on natural immunity alone,” Shaun Grannis, MD, professor of family medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, said in a statement.

Overall, those who were unvaccinated with a prior COVID-19 infection were 5 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 than those who were vaccinated.

The investigators analyzed the number of unvaccinated individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 more than 3 months before hospitalization from COVID-19 and those who were vaccinated with either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and were not diagnosed with COVID-19 prior to hospitalization.

Investigators from the CDC’s VISION Network gathered data for 7000 who fit the criteria of the study in 9 different states.

The results also showed that mRNA vaccines were nearly 20 times more effective at preventing hospitalizations from COVID-19 for individuals older than aged 65 years than a prior infection alone.

Reference

COVID vaccines 5 times more effective at preventing COVID-related hospitalization than prior infection alone. EurekAlert. News release. October 29, 2021. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/933238