Unvaccinated Individuals Against COVID-19 Have Five Times Higher Reinfection Risk After Testing Positive Compared to Vaccinated

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Additional research results have shown that people without a history of COVID-19 vaccination who recover after infection and develop antibodies have a higher probability of reinfection compared to those who have completed vaccination.

According to foreign media including the AP News on the 29th (local time), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced research findings that people who have been infected with COVID-19 but have not been vaccinated are five times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than those who have no history of infection and have completed vaccination.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky stated in a press release, "We have secured additional evidence reaffirming the importance of COVID-19 vaccines."

The research team analyzed over 7,300 adult patients hospitalized with symptoms similar to COVID-19 from January to September in 187 hospitals across 9 U.S. states.

The subjects included those who were not vaccinated but had recovered from COVID-19 infection 3 to 6 months prior, as well as those who had completed Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations during the same period. Janssen vaccine recipients were excluded due to insufficient data.

Among a total of 6,328 vaccinated individuals hospitalized with COVID-19-like illness, only 5.1% tested positive for the virus. Among 1,020 unvaccinated individuals with a prior history of COVID-19 infection, 8.7% tested positive.

After adjusting for variables such as age, region, and COVID-19 prevalence, the researchers concluded that unvaccinated individuals with a history of infection were 5.49 times more likely to be infected than those who had completed vaccination. This aligns with previous CDC studies indicating that vaccination is effective in preventing reinfection even for those with prior COVID-19 infection.

However, the researchers added that since this study only included people vaccinated or infected within the last six months, the preventive effect may decrease over time.

Dr. Mike Sugg, an infectious disease expert at the University of Alabama, evaluated this as "important information for parents as the government prepares to expand vaccination campaigns to more children."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.