While millions of people have recovered from COVID-19 and developed temporary immunity, some may wonder why public health experts are still recommending getting vaccinated.
As part of Penn State’s “COVID-19 Vaccines: Asked & Answered” series, Matthew Ferrari, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, explains that new research suggests that getting vaccinated after recovering from COVID-19 provides stronger and longer-lasting combined protection against future infections than from antibodies generated in response to infection alone.
“In fact, their immune response is so robust that their antibodies will protect even against new variants of the virus,” Ferrari said. “This only reinforces how important it is to get your vaccine after getting exposed.”
Ferrari also noted that the vaccines are proving effective at preventing serious illness and transmission, which protects both the individual and people with which they are in contact and encourages everyone to get the vaccine if it’s available to them.