There were claims during the pandemic that natural immunity was not as strong as vaccinated COVID immunity. Those claims have been proven to be completely wrong by scientific studies. Natural immunity that comes from actual COVID infection is many times stronger then vaccinated immune response.
It’s okay to have an incorrect scientific hypothesis. But when new data proves it wrong, you have to adapt. Unfortunately, many elected leaders and public health officials have held on far too long to the hypothesis that natural immunity offers unreliable protection against covid-19 — a contention that is being rapidly debunked by science.
More than 15 studies have demonstrated the power of immunity acquired by previously having the virus. A 700,000-person study from Israel two weeks ago found that those who had experienced prior infections were 27 times less likely to get a second symptomatic covid infection than those who were vaccinated. This affirmed a June Cleveland Clinic study of health-care workers (who are often exposed to the virus), in which none who had previously tested positive for the coronavirus got reinfected. The study authors concluded that “individuals who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection are unlikely to benefit from covid-19 vaccination.” And in May, a Washington University study found that even a mild covid infection resulted in long-lasting immunity.
The scientific evidence was already clear in 2021. More recent studies continue to provide clear evidence that natural COVID immunity is better than vaccines.
Abstract
Background
Waning of protection against infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) conferred by 2 doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine begins shortly after inoculation and becomes substantial within 4 months. With that, the impact of prior infection on incident SARS-CoV-2 reinfection is unclear. Therefore, we examined the long-term protection of naturally acquired immunity (protection conferred by previous infection) compared to vaccine-induced immunity.
Methods
A retrospective observational study of 124 500 persons, compared 2 groups: (1) SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals who received a 2-dose regimen of the BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine, and (2) previously infected individuals who have not been vaccinated. Two multivariate logistic regression models were applied, evaluating four SARS-CoV-2-related outcomes—infection, symptomatic disease (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]), hospitalization, and death—between 1 June and 14 August 2021, when the Delta variant was dominant in Israel.
Results
SARS-CoV-2-naive vaccinees had a 13.06-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.08–21.11) increased risk for breakthrough infection with the Delta variant compared to unvaccinated-previously-infected individuals, when the first event (infection or vaccination) occurred during January and February of 2021. The increased risk was significant for symptomatic disease as well. When allowing the infection to occur at any time between March 2020 and February 2021, evidence of waning naturally acquired immunity was demonstrated, although SARS-CoV-2 naive vaccinees still had a 5.96-fold (95% CI: 4.85–7.33) increased risk for breakthrough infection and a 7.13-fold (95% CI: 5.51–9.21) increased risk for symptomatic disease.
Conclusions
Naturally acquired immunity confers stronger protection against infection and symptomatic disease caused by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, compared to the BNT162b2 2-dose vaccine-indued immunity.
World Health Organization one pager on Natural Immunity to COVID.
• Within 4 weeks following infection, 90-99% of individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus develop detectable neutralizing antibodies.
• The strength and duration of the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 are not completely understood and currently available data suggests that it varies by age and the severity of symptoms. Available scientific data suggests that in most people immune responses remain robust and protective against reinfection for at least 6-8 months after infection (the longest follow up with strong scientific evidence is currently approximately 8 months).
Clinical Infectious Diseases – Necessity of COVID-19 vaccination in previously infected individuals
Methods Employees of the Cleveland Clinic Health System working in Ohio on Dec 16, 2020, the day COVID-19 vaccination was started, were included. Any subject who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at least 42 days earlier was considered previously infected. One was considered vaccinated 14 days after receipt of the second dose of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection over the next five months, among previously infected subjects who received the vaccine, was compared with those of previously infected subjects who remained unvaccinated, previously uninfected subjects who received the vaccine, and previously uninfected subjects who remained unvaccinated.
Results Among the 52238 included employees, 1359 (53%) of 2579 previously infected subjects remained unvaccinated, compared with 20804 (42%) of 49659 not previously infected. The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection remained almost zero among previously infected unvaccinated subjects, previously infected subjects who were vaccinated, and previously uninfected subjects who were vaccinated, compared with a steady increase in cumulative incidence among previously uninfected subjects who remained unvaccinated. Not one of the 1359 previously infected subjects who remained unvaccinated had a SARS-CoV-2 infection over the duration of the study. In a Cox proportional hazards regression model, after adjusting for the phase of the epidemic, vaccination was associated with a significantly lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among those not previously infected (HR 0.031, 95% CI 0.015 to 0.061) but not among those previously infected (HR 0.313, 95% CI 0 to Infinity).
Conclusions Individuals who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection are unlikely to benefit from COVID-19 vaccination, and vaccines can be safely prioritized to those who have not been infected before.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
It doesn’t matter if the immunity from the vaccine isn’t as effective since the main reason for the vaccine is to reduce the risk of death and hospitalization. Natural immunity is acquired by getting infected with that 1% chance of death. Immunity from the vaccine has a much lower risk of death.
So, the interesting thing is whether people could have been intentionally infected “naturally” but in a way where they didn’t have much risk of hospitalization or death. I just don’t think that any public health official would have been willing to take that risk.
This correct analysis of the difference between naturally acquired and acquired from vaccine needs to be balanced by the data of the deaths from unvaccinated versus the deaths from the vaccinated. The truth is that, people shouldn’t have resisted the vaccine if they had never had the infection but shouldn’t need the vaccine if they had been infected…except that, if natural immunity wanes then the vaccine would be the preferable way of getting a boost rather than getting COVID the second time. It’s sort of complicated for the average citizen and the data don’t nicely fit into one or the other sides of the argument.
Really??!! What a surprise…
How long the protection lasts?
The conclusion says the vaccination should be prioritized for those not infected before. Which is 0% of the population, most likely.
So most probably, it should be prioritized for those that don´t even know they were infected, because of mild symptons? As mild symptons also create the least antibodies?
Even natural infections usually end up in the long run presenting a reduction in antibodies.
So for how long after infaction do you still have enough antibodies that it’s safer than taking a new vaccine shot?
The problem i with natural immunity that the risk dying from covid was much much high than for those that got the vaccine. And even if you don’t die there is a high probability of permanent damage to the body or mind.
Also it is clear from the data it is also clear that the pandemic ended earlier than it would have naturally due to the vaccines. Were I live within 6 months of the first vaccinations the hospitals admitted had days of new COVID patents Within 8 Months the hospitals were getting close to pre pandemic patient levels.
Scientist are already working to understand why the vaccines were not a good. With the hope that in the future the vaccines will be much better than they are now. there is much yet to learn about the human immune system.
I absolutely agree that the vaccine was a positive thing, for all that it got over-sold a bit. I was planning on getting the shot myself; I’m in my 60’s, and have a history of bad respiratory infections. Getting vaccinated was a much better choice for me than risking Covid. Only I contracted Covid before the vaccine was locally available for my age cohort. (Two days of a bad head cold, followed by two weeks of cabin fever, as it happened.)
The problem is NOT that the vaccine wasn’t better than contracting Covid. For a significant fraction of the population, it absolutely was. And while a large portion of the population were not particularly at risk, vaccinating them could probably be justified as a public health measure anyway, even if it wasn’t going to personally benefit them.
The problem was with the refusal to admit that natural immunity was a real thing, that it was redundant and potentially harmful to insist on vaccinating people who were already immune. This really warped the pandemic response, when you consider that, by the time the vaccine was widely available, a large fraction of the population had already had Covid per antibody tests. The vaccine used on them was mostly wasted! People who had absolutely no need of vaccination, and who were no more likely to transmit Covid than people who’d been vaccinated, got treated as potential carriers. Barred from airline flights, for instance. And as I relate below, you could not get just a booster shot, you needed the full series.
Well, there’s a reason people who’ve been vaccinated just get boosters, not the full series: The risk of a bad reaction increases dramatically if you get the full shot when you’re already immune. That reason is just as applicable to people who’ve had Covid!
That insanity is still going on today. Despite the fact that previous infection is as good or better than vaccination, our government insists that air travelers from abroad MUST get vaccinated, regardless of their immune status.
Our public health policy is no longer being driven by medical science. And that it isn’t is becoming increasingly hard to avoid noticing.
This is an important point. This paper is discussing a two-stage infection process, comparing those who were previously infected or vaccinated and examining what was likely to happen with the next exposure. Being vaccinated conferred a 20-1 protection against death from initial Covid infection. The death rate and vaccination differentials in the Republican districts prove this connection starkly and these red districts continue to have enormous death rates from Covid-related causes like cancer and cardiovascular death.
The interesting results that haven’t received much coverage relate to the contamination issues in the Pfizer vaccine (LPS from e. coli and bacterial DNA, which stimulate TLR4 and TLR9) and the bifidus gut flora connection. Those with lower bifidus counts in the gut respond more poorly both to the vaccine and to Covid infection itself and bifidus is tied to regulating TLR4 signaling and maintaining insulin sensitivity.
Covid hits the gut pretty hard and causes dysbiosis (as may some vaccines). From dysbiosis you can get to pretty much any autoimmune, neurodegenerative or insulin resistant condition (not to mention cardiovascular disease, infertility or organ failure). These comorbidities continue to roll out, causing inflation and worker shortages (the secret of our “resilient” labor market?).
Futhermore, Covid remains latent in many of us and continues to fulminate and mutate in immunoprivileged sites like retinal cells and gonads. This isn’t over. All immunity to Covid, however acquired, is temporary and we continue to ignore basic hygienic steps like air filters, fans and UV sterilizing lights for public spaces and simple innate immune approaches like sodium thiosulfate or folinic acid (which restores the BH4 suppressed by IFN-gamma’s kynurenine production). But then, none of this produces economic rents for lobbyists.
This has been known for a couple years now. It was utterly infuriating the way health authorities refused to take it into account, and persisted in demanding that people who’d previously had Covid go out and get vaccinated. Not even allowing them to get a booster shot instead of the full series! When I decided I ought to get a booster shot a year after having had Covid, I had to schedule the full vaccination and simply skip the second shot.
Instead they were pumping out ill supported releases claiming that natural immunity was inferior or short lived.
It really was a pathological display, and the medical community will be many years recovering from the damage it has done to their credibility.
Many times stronger? Such an exacting figure from a one man video on YouTube. A highly dubious source of factual information, as the last few years has shown us.
he is citing peer reviewed scientific studies. I added the link to the clinical infectious disease paper and added its complete abstract. The Youtuber is reading the results of the peer reviewed research study of what happened to 124000 people.