Natural immunity vs immunisation – An ‘irrelevant’ debate, say experts

Although some people have said that natural immunity has kept them from getting infected by Covid, experts now warn that getting vaccinated provides more effective and longer lasting immunity.

Medical scientist Prof Glenda Davison of Cape Peninsula University of Technology said it was correct that a previously infected person would have built up antibodies, but no-one knew for how long antibodies would last.

“You can get reinfected. It’s also very dangerous to rely on natural immunity, because people who get Covid can get very ill and sometimes even die,” she said.

“It is much more beneficial to actually get the vaccine, which can last up to eight months.”

Also Read: Vaccination for some a ‘no-brainer’

Then, the body could build up immunity memory cells in great numbers. She said it was always more beneficial to go for the vaccine than to wait to get infected in order to build natural immunity. Davison said even people who were previously infected and might not see the reason to vaccinate, should be aware that their bodies might not respond with a high enough level of antibodies.

“Whereas a vaccine could boost that level of immunity to levels which are much stronger,” she said.

She pointed out that a person with natural immunity for one variant might get infected with another variant, in which case your immunity will not be effective.

In a webinar on mitigating Covid vaccine hesitancy in SA, partner at Genesis Health and advisor to The Solidarity Fund Dr Saul Johnson said the debate around natural immunity versus vaccine-induced immunity has become “irrelevant”.

Studies have proven that vaccines were safer and had longer lasting efficacy.

Also Read: Vooma vaccination drive to take place next weekend as citizens urged to get second jab

Johnson said he used to advocate for antibody testing before vaccination, to instead give the vaccine to those who did not have antibodies. “But over time we learned that it was not a helpful approach”, he said, because it would not be clear what a person’s infection was, when they were exposed to Covid and if they had a severe or a mild infection.

He said vaccinated people were generally less likely to be hospitalised and much less likely to die.

Vaccines are “incredibly safe”.

Head of the SA Vaccination Centre at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University Prof Hannelie Meyer said people should not rely on natural immunity as vaccines were an additional layer of protection without causing any harm.

– reitumetsem@citizen.co.za