National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci on Monday said health officials knew during the COVID-19 pandemic that contracting the disease ultimately offered a degree of natural immunity to it.

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“We were always aware that if you get infected, you have a degree of protection against reinfection,” he told reporters, per the Epoch Times.

Critics of Fauci’s push for nationwide vaccinations long argued that natural immunity offered protection against the virus and thus individuals who contracted COVID-19 didn’t need to opt for one of the nation’s authorized vaccines.