Is Natural Covid Immunity Good Enough?

Hi all, it’s Kristen in NYC. A reader wonders about the increasing prevalence of natural Covid immunity. But before we get to that...

A new study found previous infections prevent severe Covid infection. How should this impact vaccine policy moving forward? Jason, Chicago

When you get a Covid infection it functions a little in the same way a vaccine does. It revs up your immune system to protect you from the virus. The defenses it develops linger in your body. If you encounter Covid again that so-called natural immunity can lower your risk of severe disease, a February meta-study in the Lancet showed.

‘The immunity conferred by past infection should be weighed alongside protection from vaccination when assessing future disease burden from Covid-19, providing guidance on when individuals should be vaccinated,” the authors wrote.