Health care
February 27, 2023 | 12:11 p.m.
The Lancet reported that a previous COVID-19 infection is just as effective as two doses of an mRNA vaccine in preventing reinfection and serious illness. Pictured: A protester in Los Angeles rallying against vaccination mandates in 2021.
Ted Soqui/USA GIRL
Years after the rollout of vaccination mandates that led to the layoff of thousands of workers, the Lancet reported that natural immunity is just as effective as two doses of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines in preventing both reinfection and disease. severe due to COVID-19.
The findings, which were published in the February edition of the prestigious medical journal, were based on a review of 65 separate studies from 19 different countries.
“Although the protection against reinfection of all variants decreases over time, our analysis of the available data suggests that the level of protection afforded by prior infection is at least as high, if not greater, than that provided by vaccination in two doses using high quality mRNA. vaccines,” the report states.
The research was funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the study’s lead author, Dr. Christopher Murray, hailed the findings.
“This is really good news, in the sense that protection against severe disease and death after infection is really quite sustained at 10 months,” Murray said in a statement. The study “supports the idea that those with documented infection should be treated the same as those who have been fully immunized with high-quality vaccines,” the researchers said.
However, many who have lost their jobs, argued with friends, or been ridiculed as anti-vaxxers simply for expressing skepticism about the injections’ effectiveness, are furious with the results.
Thousands of people took to social media to rage over the report, with a writing : “Science” now shows that we “conspiracy theorists” were right all along. »
“The problem with saying ‘I’m going to get infected to get immunity’ is that you might be one of those people who end up in hospital or die.”
Dr. Christopher Murray, lead author of the Lancet study
“Why should we care that The Lancet now recognizes natural immunity? It makes my blood boil,” another fumed.
“Those of us who had natural immunity have been accused of ‘killing Grandma’. So what happens now? Will people call The Lancet conspiracy theorists too? ? asked a third furious pandit.
Meanwhile, Allysia Finley wrote in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal that “the false denial of natural immunity has caused vaccine skeptics to dig deeper and fueled suspicions that public health officials were in the pocket vaccine makers and dishonest about other things like Bien.”
According to the Lancet findings, protection against reinfection with the original strain of COVID, as well as the alpha and delta variants, amounted to an average of 78.6% 40 weeks after the initial infection. However, protection against reinfection with the omicron variant declined more rapidly and was estimated at 36.1% 40 weeks later.
Meanwhile, protection against serious illness (i.e. hospitalization or death) remained high across all variants, at over 88% 40 weeks after initial infection.
The study authors wrote that their findings could impact future policymaking, potentially ending the rigidity of vaccination mandates.
“Immunity conferred by past infection should be weighed against protection against vaccination when assessing future disease burden from COVID-19, providing guidance on when individuals should be vaccinated and by developing policies that mandate vaccination of workers or restrict access,” they wrote.
Caroline Stein, one of the study’s authors, said that “decision makers should consider both natural immunity and vaccination status to get the full picture of an individual’s immune profile.”
However, Murray said the report still highlights the importance of getting vaccinated and boosted.
“The problem with saying ‘I’m going to get infected to get immunity’ is that you might be one of those people who end up in hospital or die,” he said in a statement. “Why would you take the risk when you can safely get immunity through vaccination?”
Many others online agreed.
“Given its long-term impacts on your body, it’s probably best to avoid it whenever possible,” we wrote on Twitter, implying that they were happy to continue receiving reminders in order to stay protected.
“Anti-vaxxers will say that means being infected with Covid is just as good as being vaccinated, but that’s only true if you’re not among the 1 or 2% unvaccinated who die from the infection. , or the much higher percentage that becomes long COVID,” another said on Twitter.
Only 16% of the US population has received the updated booster dose for COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, only 69% of the population has completed a primary series of vaccines.