Experts are Researching if People Who Have had COVID-19 Should Also Get Vaccinated

Jiya has just tested negative for COVID-19. She had a tough couple of weeks but now she is finally on the journey to complete recovery. However, just before she was getting ready to leave the doctor’s office, she stopped.

One of the people in the hospital told her to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as she can. She told that person that she has just recovered from COVID-19 and she is safe now.

However, that person told her that she is still at risk of reinfection. Since then, this has been a constant concern in Jiya’s mind. Does she need to get COVID-19 vaccinated even if she has already had COVID-19? If yes, then how long should she wait before being vaccinated? And if not, then what is the right course of action for her?

The Result of Studies in the Area

According to studies conducted by the Cleveland Clinic, people who have already suffered from COVID-19 might not really benefit from vaccination. This is mainly due to the fact that people with prior infection caused due to this virus already have similar protection to the ones that are available for people who have been fully vaccinated.

It should be noted that it is still an interesting area in science to explore how natural immunity compares to immunity acquired through doses of vaccine. Because of this reason, to be on the safer side, experts are recommending individuals to get a single dose of the vaccine even if they have had COVID-19.

Further research also indicated that out of a large pool of healthcare experts, there are roughly 0 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection among people who fulfill the following criteria.

• Previously contracted the virus and are unvaccinated
• Previously contracted the virus and were vaccinated
• Never contracted the virus and were vaccinated

A study increase in cases amongst unvaccinated people who haven’t come into contact with SARS-CoV-2 has also been seen. All of these findings indicate that vaccination should be treated as a priority for people who have never been infected by the COVID-19 virus.

It should also be noted that most of these studies are preprint and haven’t been peer-reviewed for publication. According to experts in the domain, further research is required to determine how long immunity will last after one has recovered from COVID-19.

And until this data isn’t available, it is hard to roll out any specific guideline for people who have suffered from COVID-19 but have not been vaccinated yet. This is why Jiya needs to be very careful before she makes any form of a permanent decision in this regard.

Does Infection Mean Protection?

In a study conducted with 52,238 people, 2,579 people had previously been sick due to COVID-19, and 1,359 were people who are unvaccinated. The remaining 49,659 people hadn’t previously suffered from COVID-19 and 22,777 people out of those numbers were vaccinated.

All of these people were tracked from December 2020 to May 2021. During this time, none of the 2,579 people who have previously been ill due to the COVID-19 virus were able to contract the virus again.

These findings point to the fact that vaccinations have significantly lowered the risk of SARS-C-V-2 is found in people who haven’t already had COVID-19. This does not necessarily mean that people will venture out if they haven’t been fully vaccinated.

There is also another issue of vaccine availability in certain countries across the globe. These situations should be resolved as soon as possible because being vaccinated against COVID-19 is not just a method or a mere fancy but it is a necessity.

What Experts Know about Immunity

Preliminary data suggest that immunity developed through natural infection is long-lived. It can last for up to 8 months longer than that. Infection rates have also been found in people who have previously been affected due to COVID-19.

This entire system is able to work because the immune system of an individual involves several components that are constantly working together to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  

The antibodies that are produced in the body through the immune system will attach on exposure to pathogens. It is also possible for antibody levels to wane over time. Jiya has heard about something similar before. This is why she is putting in a lot of deliberation before making a final decision regarding this problem.

Another type of immunity that is related to COVID-19 is the cell-mediated immunite system response. This type of response involves protective T cells and protective B cells which increase over time. These cells remain elevated long after an infection has occurred.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

When it comes to concrete scientific evidence, then there is none for understanding the benefits of vaccinating people who have already suffered from the COVID-19 infection. These scientists are also looking at how the natural immunity of the body is compared to the immunity developed through vaccination.

There are also some experts who claim that there can be immunity against reinfection spread. This is why it is vital to have proper guidelines for being vaccinated.

There was also a study that showed how quickly individuals who have suffered from COVID-19 were able to develop a very strong antibody response. This was seen when both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to the patient.

This is excellent news for people like Jiya. However, you should still follow the official preventative guidelines to make sure that you do not get sick.

Because of all these reasons, irrespective of whether you have been sick due to COVID-19 or not or what your immunity level is, you must make sure to get vaccinated. As of now, all experts believe that getting vaccinated and following the preventative guidelines is the only way to protect one and all against the spread of the coronavirus.

The Bottom Line

From all this, the one thing Jiya has understood is that she needs to get vaccinated as soon as possible. She also knows that there is a waiting period before one can get the COVID-19 vaccine after recovering from the condition.

She is determined to wait for the required amount of time and then get her vaccine shots as soon as possible! Are you happy with Jiya’s decision? Do you think that she has made the right choice? Did you also make the same choice?