Natural immunity vs vaccine immunity from Covid-19 is the same according to an Oxford University study.

An Oxford University study of 13,000 health workers in England suggests that natural immunity vs vaccine immunity from the two-shot regimens from Pfizer or Astro Zenica offered the same immunity to reinfection.  As reported by the  Daily Mail, a newspaper from the UK, both natural and vaccine immunity offers the same level of protection from reinfection of covid-19.

In the USA, there has been a push to vaccinate everyone as quickly as possible.   Vaccination is the introduction of a vaccine into the body.   Innoculation is the artificial introduction of immunity to the body.  Immunization is what occurs after you are vaccinated, where the body develops antibodies and has an immune reaction to what was just introduced.

In natural inoculation, you breathe in the virus or the contaminant.  This is how Covid-19 is transmitted.  The goal is to become immunized, whether through vaccination or natural transmission.  Once your body fights and engages its immune response, you are immunized.

This study shows that whether you have received the vaccine or are fully immunized naturally, your protection is the same. Currently, there is a discussion about vaccination passports for future travel internationally.  This would mean that those who were immunized naturally are not considered immune even though growing evidence supports that they are.   This idea is controversial because if you are immune, you must still vaccinate to travel freely.

Should you get the vaccine if you have recovered from Covid-19? 

Experts are suggesting you should to further increase your immunity even though we now know that the immunity is the same.

Are your antibodies going to last?   Doctors are suggesting your antibodies plus other parts of the immune system is what offers you immunity from Covid-19.   The obsession with the antibodies does not tell the entire story.

For additional immunity, if you have been naturally immunized, one dose of these vaccines will likely do the job according to the NY Times, but people who have already had a strong antibody response may have a stronger reaction to the vaccine than those who are having their first shot. It may be wise to wait beyond the three-month recommended period post-infection to get the vaccine. Also, for now, if you are already immune, allowing others to go before you who are not immune can help others become part of the herd immunity that is developing in the USA now.

Should you be afraid of others who have not been vaccinated?

Shouldn’t they be more afraid of you?  After all, you are protected, they are not. The CDC is suggesting that we can be in small groups unmasked with others who have been vaccinated.  These groups include those who had the disease and recovered as well as those who have been medically vaccinated. They have not extended this to those who have recovered with antibodies, even though they are immunized as well.   This Oxford study helps us further understand that both vaccinated and naturally immune people are safe from future infections.

This is the idea of herd immunity.   Those who are immunized, which includes both those who were vaccinated and those who had the vaccine are protected. Those who are not immunized may be protecting and preventing further spread by those who were not.  Groups of vaccinated people block out viral transmission through their own antibodies and immune system responses.

Beyond antibodies, your immunity can last for years after vaccination and natural immunization.  For now, the concern is more about variants you may not be protected from.