The New York State Department of Health announced the publication of the largest comparative study of its kind on immunity to COVID-19 from vaccines and from previous infection, continuing its groundbreaking work on vaccine effectiveness. The study, which also contains new data on reinfections, was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). It found that both vaccination and a prior infection provided protection against future infection and hospitalization. Researchers found that from May to November 2021, COVID-19 cases and related hospitalization were substantially lower among those who had been vaccinated and/or survived a previous infection, compared to those who were unvaccinated and without a previous infection. The study concluded that although after the Delta variant emerged, new infections and hospitalizations were lowest among people with prior infection, especially those who were also vaccinated. The results show vaccination remains the safest way to prevent future COVID-19 infections and severe outcomes, including death. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 63,500 New Yorkers have died from COVID-19.
