Covid jabs more effective than virus at preventing infection

pharmafile | November 3, 2021 | News story | Research and Development  

A US study has revealed that the immunity received from COVID-19 vaccines is much stronger than that stimulated by infection with the virus itself, in unvaccinated individuals, according to a report by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC used data from the VISION Network to examine hospitalisations in adults with COVID-19-like illness. They compared the odds of receiving a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result between unvaccinated patients with a previous COVID-19 infection, and patients who were fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine, with no previous documented history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The results from this study provide further evidence for the robust immunity that vaccines provide against COVID-19.

The benefit of vaccination compared with infection without vaccination was higher for recipients of Moderna than Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is consistent with a recent study that found higher vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalisations for Moderna vaccine recipients than for the latter.

In a statement, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said, “We now have additional evidence that reaffirms the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, even if you have had prior infection.

“The best way to stop COVID-19, including the emergence of variants, is with widespread COVID-19 vaccination and with disease prevention actions such as mask wearing, washing hands often, physical distancing, and staying home when sick.”

Although more than seven billion doses of vaccines have been administered worldwide, less than four percent of people in low income countries have received a jab. WHO director general Ted Adhanom has expressed the need for better and more equal vaccine distribution across all countries.

Lina Adams

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