Excerpt from an article in https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/21/antibody-assisted-vaccination-will-speed-the-path-to-protection/
Given the low risk for reinfection and the limited supply of vaccine doses, it would be a mistake not to make previous infection a more central consideration in our vaccine prioritization. With an estimated 75 million Americans having already been infected with SARS-CoV-2, but only 24 million knowing it, using wide-scale Covid-19 antibody testing can help better target vaccine allocation to those at highest risk. Doing so can save lives and return us to normalcy sooner.
This strategy builds upon the two biggest discoveries made in efforts against the virus. The first is that after infection, including mild and asymptomatic infections, there appears to be lasting and strong immunity out to six-plus months. The second breakthrough is the resounding success of Covid-19 vaccine development. This combination of lasting immunity and effective vaccines has been the cornerstone of almost all past successes against viruses (HIV, to date, being the key exception). It’s how the scourges of smallpox, polio, measles, mumps, and other infectious diseases have been beaten. And it’s how we are going to beat Covid-19.
