Two shots of COVID-19 vaccine without an additional booster offer essentially no lasting protection against infection with omicron, and a coronavirus infection is as effective as a recent booster shot in preventing a new omicron-fueled illness, researchers reported Wednesday.
At the same time, any immunity to the highly contagious variant, either from infection or vaccination, appears to offer significant and lasting protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death, the researchers found. And if you haven't had either the virus or the vaccine, doctors urged, it's better to get the jab.
The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, provide some of the best understanding to date on the longevity of different types of coronavirus immunity and offer insight into the future of the pandemic.
