More and more Californians are expected to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition for work and recreation. But why do those who have survived an encounter with the disease, and thus acquired natural immunity to the coronavirus, also have to be inoculated?
The claim that a previous infection provides protection against the virus that is as strong as vaccination has long been used as an argument against the need for injections. But health officials point out that there are a few reasons why everyone, including COVID-19 survivors, should get vaccinated.
Experts agree that catching and then overcoming the coronavirus generally confers some natural immunity. But the degree of that protection can vary from person to person and may not last as long as an antigen.
The data suggests that uninoculated people who survive COVID-19 will be much more protected if they get vaccinated after recovering from their illness.
After a coronavirus infection, “it appears that your protection may vary” depending on several factors, said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
“It is absolutely true,” he explained of the coronavirus survivors who have not been inoculated that “they have some immunity. But not much, not enough, given how long the pandemic lasts. “
Natural immunity is not total. There have been a number of documented and detected reinfections around the world.
A study conducted in Kentucky and published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC for its acronym in English) found that, among people previously infected with the coronavirus in 2020, the unvaccinated had more than double likely to be infected again with the coronavirus in 2021, compared to those who were fully inoculated.
The CDC is now commenting that people who test positive for coronavirus three months after having overcome a previous infection should be considered as having a new case of the virus, Ferrer noted. Government officials suspect that their waning natural immunity allowed the virus to invade their bodies again.
“There is more compelling evidence that if you have been infected, you really benefit greatly from getting vaccinated. And it really drives your system to be prepared to defend itself against the virus the next time there is a threat to your body, ”explained Ferrer.
While it is also possible for people who have been inoculated to become infected, officials emphasize that those who are not vaccinated still remain especially exposed, particularly given the pervasiveness of the highly contagious Delta variant.
Uninoculated Californians are roughly eight times more likely to become infected with the coronavirus, and nearly 18 times more likely to die from COVID-19, than their fully vaccinated counterparts, according to recent data from the state Department of Public Health.
“The recommendation is clear that you should get vaccinated even if you’ve had a naturally acquired disease,” UC San Francisco epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford said in an interview.
Aside from the uncertainty about the resistance of natural immunity, officials comment that there are practical reasons why the new inoculation requirements do not include an exception for those who have previously had the disease.
While physical and digital records are easily accessible for test results and vaccinations, officials say it would be impossible to assess the level of protection someone has gained from a previous infection.
Los Angeles County is one of the jurisdictions that has required COVID-19 inoculation for its workers. Starting Thursday, the county will also begin requiring participants and workers at outdoor events with more than 10,000 attendees to provide proof of vaccination or to prove that they recently tested negative for coronavirus.
In bars, wineries, breweries, nightclubs and lounges, customers, as well as employees, must verify that they have received at least one dose of the antigen, by Thursday, and that they are fully vaccinated, no later than November 4.
Healthcare workers statewide must also show proof of inoculation to continue working, but limited exceptions are allowed for medical and religious reasons.
Los Angeles County Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly explained that some county employees who survived COVID-19, but have not been vaccinated, are asking if they have measurable levels of antibodies to show that they are immune to the coronavirus.
There is currently no evidence that allows health officials to discern that, Ghaly said.
“As much as we’d like to look into it, the evidence just isn’t there to support that kind of analysis at this time,” Ghaly said.
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