The population is as well protected against Covid-19 after being infected with the coronavirus as when it has been vaccinated against the disease, concludes a study published this Friday,
one of the most extensive
on the subject.
"Although an infection provides protection that decreases over time, its level (...) seems as long lasting,
even longer
, than that conferred by vaccination," concludes this study published in The Lancet.
This comparison is based on the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines, which are among the most effective against Covid-19 and are the mainstay of vaccination campaigns in many Western countries.
The subject is not new and many studies have already tried to compare the risks of contracting the virus again, depending on whether one is vaccinated or has already been infected.
But the work published in The Lancet is of an unprecedented magnitude.
It compiles some sixty pre-existing studies, going back several years and takes into account the emergence, at the end of 2021, of the Ómicron variant.
The latter proved to be much more contagious than its predecessors and capable of infecting large numbers of vaccinated people without putting them at high risk of suffering a severe form of the disease.
The study concludes that the same is true in case of previous coronavirus infection.
Protection is rather weak against reinfection with the Omicron variant, but strong against a severe form.
These results do not mean that it is indifferent to be vaccinated or infected to acquire a first immunity.
It is much more risky to get sick
, especially in the case of older people.
However, this study offers a more accurate picture of what to expect from the development of
"hybrid" immunity
in the population, as more and more individuals have been vaccinated and caught the virus at least once.
The results suggest that future waves of covid will lead to low levels of hospitalization, the study concludes.
Source: AFP
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