Natural immunity vs vaccination: is it possible for those who have recovered not to be vaccinated against COVID-19

Many unvaccinated Americans may soon lose their jobs if they do not get the COVID-19 vaccine. This has already happened to hundreds of medical and airline workers across the country who have refused to be vaccinated. One of the arguments of opponents of vaccinations is that these people have already suffered a coronavirus infection, which means that they have developed natural immunity, which, in their opinion, should serve as an exemption from vaccination. Edition Yahoo News figured out whether natural and "vaccine" immunities differ and whether they can be considered interchangeable.

Judge's opinion

On September 30, a judge upheld a UCLA requirement for employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, despite the objection of a professor at the institution. He claimed that he already has immunity to COVID-19 due to a previous coronavirus infection.

The judge said the university system had acted rationally to protect public health by mandating vaccinations and making no exceptions for individuals with a certain level of natural immunity. The judgment is the first on this issue and may influence future decisions in such disputes.

What does science say

Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, says the evidence is mixed. Some studies indicate that natural immunity is as effective as immunity from certain vaccines. At the same time, other studies suggest the opposite.

“When the data contradicts each other, we just keep researching,” Gandhi wrote.

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However, the CDC and most medical professionals in the United States recommend getting the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone who is eligible, whether they have already been infected or not.

One reason for this recommendation, according to the CDC and health experts supporting this guideline, is that research has yet to show how long protection from the virus lasts after recovering from COVID-19.

In addition, the agency says it recently conducted research that went through a "rigorous multi-tiered verification process." The study showed that vaccination provides better protection than a previous coronavirus infection.

A study involving 246 Kentucky residents concluded that unvaccinated people with COVID-19 are twice as likely as vaccinated people to get COVID-19 again.

Re-infection risks

Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Vaccine Development Center at Texas Children's Hospital, said there is another reason to urge everyone to get vaccinated. It lies in the fact that not all those who have been ill develop stable immunity after infection, but after vaccination, everyone has it.

“If you look at some of the early studies, you can see that infected and recovered people have a very heterogeneous response to the virus,” Hotez said.

“Some have pretty strong immune responses. Others have almost no virus neutralizing antibodies. And they are very susceptible to re-infection, ”the doctor said.

Research Proving the Power of Natural Immunity

The study conducted in Israel involved 778 658 people. People who recovered from COVID-19 and did not get the vaccine were 27 times less likely to experience symptomatic re-infection with the coronavirus compared to those who were not infected and received two doses of Pfizer vaccine. The study also showed that a single dose of the vaccine enhanced protection in naturally immune people.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House, noted that this study did not provide information on the longevity of the natural defenses of those who had recovered, so the data did not provide a complete picture.

The precautionary principle

Natural infection does provide significant immunity to many, according to former CDC director Tom Frieden. But, says Frieden, scientists work in an incomplete information environment, where the precautionary principle applies. Better to play it safe and get everyone vaccinated than sorry.

Hotez agrees that a one-size-fits-all vaccination strategy is the best approach at the moment, since it is difficult to measure the immune response of large numbers, and only a few do not give a complete picture of such measurements.

Finally, health experts say vaccination is simply a more quantifiable, predictable and reliable way to protect the population right now.