The small study only included 26 people with breakthrough infections, and all of the participants had received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, so there’s no data on the other vaccine brands, according to the new research, published Thursday (Dec. 16) in the journal JAMA. But it does hint that, in general, those who catch COVID-19 post-vaccination may have an edge in fighting off the virus, even if they become exposed to a new coronavirus variant, study co-author Dr. Marcel Curlin, an associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine, told KATU News.

Of course, although this study highlights a potential silver lining to catching a breakthrough infection, contracting COVID-19 after vaccination still carries risks.