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A recent study in Israel sheds new light on the argument that the protection obtained from vaccination against COVID-19 is better than the immunity caused by COVID-19 itself.
He found that unvaccinated people who survived COVID-19 infection were significantly less likely than vaccinated people to become seriously ill with the virus, including the delta variant.
While there is disagreement over the ramifications, this is widely seen as evidence that so-called natural immunity could be better than previously thought.
Most doctors have long said that vaccination provides better immunity, especially against newer variants such as delta. They continue to recommend the vaccine as the best and safest route.
But the Israeli study, based on the medical records of tens of thousands of people, offers new insight into the power of immunity resulting from COVID-19 infection.
Specifically, he found that people vaccinated in January and February were 6 to 13 times more likely to be infected than unvaccinated people who had recently been infected with COVID-19. The risk of hospitalization for those vaccinated was eight times higher.
The study covered a period from June to mid-August, showing immunity to a previous infection against the newer and more contagious delta variant.
A Science Magazine article quoted Dr Eric Topol, cardiologist and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, as saying, “We continue to underestimate the importance of natural immunity against infections… especially when [infection] is recent.
Faye Flam, a Bloomberg columnist focused on the science surrounding COVID-19, wrote: ‘The new findings may force a rethink of current US policy of recommending full vaccination for people who have previously had a documented case of Covid-19 . “
Asked about the study at an independent press conference on Wednesday, a trio of UPMC doctors said the study had not changed its recommendation that all eligible people should be vaccinated.
Pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr John Williams said that while naturally infected people develop protective antibodies, “the quantity and quality of these antibody responses vary widely.”
With vaccination, he said, “everyone who is primarily vaccinated except the immunocompromised produces a very good, robust and broad antibody response. “
He also said that if a person was immune to an infection several months ago, it is not known how many antibodies they still have and how well those antibodies will protect against a newer variant.
In addition, UPMC doctors on Wednesday described what has been called an “alarming” scenario of younger and healthier patients hospitalized at UPMC, the vast majority unvaccinated. This mirrored situations in two other central Pennsylvania hospital systems that said most of their COVID-19 patients are not vaccinated.
- READ MORE: UPMC Cites ‘Truly Alarming’ Number of Young, Healthy – Often Unvaccinated – With COVID-19
Scientists have long known that immunity caused by a disease itself is often stronger and longer lasting than immunity obtained from a vaccine.
The problem is that getting the disease is much more deadly than getting the vaccine.
One of the shortcomings of the Israeli study, some experts noted, is that it does not reflect hospitalizations and deaths resulting from COVID-19 infections – the cost of accessing natural immunity.
Yet an encouraging result of the study is that no one in the vaccinated or unvaccinated group died. This is seen as further evidence of the vaccine’s ability to prevent serious illness and death.
The Israeli study had not yet undergone peer review, which means that possible flaws will be found.
Yet in the race to understand and respond to COVID-19, it is common for so-called “preprints” to be widely discussed.
The initial reaction to the Israeli study was that it looks shapely and stands out for its large size.
It also corroborates previous findings that people who have already been infected and receive a single dose of the vaccine develop particularly strong protection.
Some experts say this knowledge could justify reviewing a full two-dose vaccination schedule for people already infected.
This could offer the advantage of expanding vaccine supply to regions of the world facing vaccine shortages.
Some experts also say that in discussions of topics such as vaccine passports, more weight should be given to proof of a previous infection.
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