When you read carefully, you discover this study of COVID-19 patients in California and New York shows that prior infection trumps vaccination against the virus.

The study examined infections in New York and California last summer and fall and found people who were both vaccinated and had survived a prior bout of COVID-19 had the most protection.

But unvaccinated people with a past infection were a close second. By fall, when the more contagious delta variant had taken over but boosters weren't yet widespread, that group had a lower case rate than vaccinated people who had no past infection.

Unvaccinated with prior infection had a lower case rate than vaccination and no prior infection.

That makes prior infection the stronger protection over vaccination, despite what the AP wants you to believe.