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How much protection have we built against the virus as a result of natural infection and vaccination?
Since April 2020 our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey (CIS) has collected nose and throat swabs and blood samples from people across the UK to test for SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and for antibodies against it.
Professor Sarah Walker, Professor Jeremy Farrar and Sarah Crofts explain more about antibodies and how our immune system protects us from infection:
How the immune system works:
Antibodies are made by our body after infection and after vaccination. They contribute to protecting us against a second infection and prevent us getting sick. Before the vaccination programme, the number of people testing positive for antibodies gave a good indication of past SARS-CoV2 virus infection. Since the start of 2021, we have seen the impact of vaccination with an increasing number of people testing positive for antibodies, including after their first dose o