Those who have been vaccinated, boosted and infected by COVID-19 have a “great combination” of things protecting them, Professor Luke O’Neill has said.

The immunology professor is currently in Japan and at a conference to discuss the disease in a post-restrictions era.

“One of the big themes was, ‘Are we now free of it?’” Professor O’Neill told The Pat Kenny Show.

“By ‘free of it’, what we mean is, if you’re vaccinated, if you’re boosted and if you’ve been infected - that’s a great combination of things to happen.

“Because if you’ve been infected as well as being vaccinated, you’ve got multiple layers of protection across all different parts of the immune system.”

A booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine is administered in October 2021. Picture by: Bob Daemmrich / Alamy Stock Photo

Vaccination was the big gamechanger for the world and Professor O’Neill says that there is “compelling” evidence that it is still saving lives.

“If you’re in that situation where you’re vaccinated, boosted and you’ve had COVID, you’ll get at least six months strong protection against getting infected and, certainly, against severe disease,” he said.

“You’re 20 fold less likely to die if you’re in that category and 10 times less likely to be positive again.

“So in other words, it seems to be that reinfection is quite a good thing if you’re vaccinated.

“Of course, if you’re not vaccinated and you get infected, you’ve got a very severe disease.

“But of course, the vaccine is protection and infection gives you this extra kick and the current consensus is if you’re in that category - fully vaccinated, boosted and infected - you’re as safe as you’re going to get for you as a person in terms of defending your body against this disease.”

Main image: Luke O'Neill on The Pat Kenny Show. Picture by: Newstalk