Hybrid Immunity
It looks like the immune system is eventually going to have the edge over this virus. And if we're lucky, SARS-CoV-2 will eventually fall into that category of viruses that gives us only a mild cold - Paul Bieniasz, Rockefeller University
image by: Ravikant Yadav
HWN Suggests
Vaccine Policy Should Consider the Power of ‘Hybrid Immunity’
As a physician in a Covid-19 care unit, I celebrate the vaccines as one of medicine’s greatest triumphs. They provide extraordinary protection against severe disease and death, and are the world’s best option for returning to a more normal life. As a scientist and lead investigator for a study on Covid-19 immunity, I have also come to appreciate the significance of so-called natural immunity acquired by those who have had Covid-19, and the power of “hybrid immunity” — the protection gained when such people also get vaccinated.
While the concept of natural immunity has often been misused by people opposed to vaccine mandates, public health officials and scientists should be open to…
Resources
Why you should get a COVID-19 vaccine – even if you’ve already had the coronavirus
Natural immunity from infection is simply far too unreliable in the face of such a devastating virus. Current COVID-19 vaccines offer incredibly strong, consistent protection to the great majority of people. So, for anyone eligible, even those who have already had a SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccines offer immense benefits.
COVID super-immunity: one of the pandemic’s great puzzles
People who have previously recovered from COVID-19 have a stronger immune response after being vaccinated than those who have never been infected. Scientists are trying to find out why.
Natural Immunity vs. Super Immunity: Only a COVID-19 Vaccination Away
Many believe that super immunity can develop in those who have had SARS-CoV-2 infections and have become vaccinated. Meanwhile, fully vaccinated might mean getting 3 doses, not 2.
New Studies Find Evidence Of 'Superhuman' Immunity To COVID-19 In Some Individuals
So who is capable of mounting this "superhuman" or "hybrid" immune response? People who have had a "hybrid" exposure to the virus. Specifically, they were infected with the coronavirus in 2020 and then immunized with mRNA vaccines this year. "Those people have amazing responses to the vaccine," says virologist Theodora Hatziioannou at Rockefeller University, who also helped lead several of the studies.
Study Suggests Lasting Immunity After COVID-19, With a Big Boost From Vaccination
After an infection with SARS-CoV-2, most people—even those with mild infections—appear to have some protection against the virus for at least a year, a recent follow-up study of recovered patients published in Nature suggests. What’s more, this and other research demonstrates that vaccinating these individuals substantially enhances their immune response and confers strong resistance against variants of concern, including the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant.
What is 'hybrid immunity' and why does it matter?
People who were naturally infected with the coronavirus and later got one of the vaccines may have a combined stronger immune response.
Vaccine Policy Should Consider the Power of ‘Hybrid Immunity’
As a physician in a Covid-19 care unit, I celebrate the vaccines as one of medicine’s greatest triumphs. They provide extraordinary protection against severe disease and death, and are the world’s best option for returning to a more normal life. As a scientist and lead investigator for a study on Covid-19 immunity, I have also come to appreciate the significance of so-called natural immunity acquired by those who have had Covid-19, and the power of “hybrid immunity” — the protection gained when such people also get vaccinated.
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