People who have suffered from the COVID-19 infection are now inquiring whether they should be vaccinated after being infected by the virus or not. Some medical experts claim that such people should get their shots done anyway because even after being infected with COVID, there are chances that they might get reinfection. But, why? If you want to know the reasons behind this statement, continue reading the article!
Researchers’ Points Of View In This Regard:
A professor of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Dr. Chris Beyrer, said, “We are motivating people to get vaccinated because we have no idea how long their natural immunity will last.”
He further said that all known types of the coronavirus are causing for stimulation of short-lived immunity in people. For instance, if you, unfortunately, get cold coronavirus, your immunity will last only in one or two years, and then, you will be again vulnerable to the virus.
The Director of the Vaccine Research Group, named Dr. Greg, also said, “The human body utilizes the simple method to fight off the cold coronavirus. This method is not adequate to create a lasting impression on human immunological memory.”
He explained more that people who got asymptomatic COVID-19 may not build any lasting immunity.
Beyrer further said, “Specifically, for those who had milder cases of coronavirus, it is possible that they might not have immunity for very long. So, the best option is to get vaccinated instantly.”
Immunological Memory Protects Against COVID Reinfection:
Though there are chances that you will get reinfection if you already had COVID-19, a good news is that your immune memory can protect you against COVID reinfection if you already had the virus. Yes, some pieces of recent research reveal that COVID-19 indeed develops a lasting impression on our immune memory as it can protect you for about 8 months against reinfection.
According to the findings printed in the Journal of Science Immunology in December, researchers from Australia have found a stable number of immune memory cells in the coronavirus patients who were eight months post-infection. It is stated that once they re-infected from the virus, they were able to prompt a protective immune response through the rapid production of protective antibodies. In this study, twenty-five coronavirus patients were examined, while nine patients were very severe and required hospitalization after getting re-infection.
A professor of infectious diseases employed at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., Dr. William Schaffner said that the memory cells help us to organize the defensive measures against the COVID infection in the future. He further said, “Because of the endurance of memory cells, it is possible that we will have herd immunity in the future.”
Until more research is going on, health experts advise people to follow the preventive measures and get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Beyrer said, “We are sure that it is safe as several people who had coronavirus were in the trials of Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, and there is no concern on that specific front.”
He explained that tens of thousands of the people who were participated in the vaccination trials would be tracked for about two years to know how long their immunity will last.
Concluding Lines:
According to some different pieces of research mentioned above, it is necessary to get vaccinated even if you already had the COVID-19. The reason is that after some time, you will again be vulnerable to the virus. So, don’t be late and get vaccinated as soon as possible! Moreover, if you are feeling sick and experiencing some symptoms of COVID-19, schedule an appointment at an authorized clinic for getting the COVID-19 test.
