Fact-Check: Do You Still Need Vaccine After Having COVID-19?

COVID-19 vaccines play an important role in eradicating the SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.

With a promising interim result from both Pfizer and Moderna, these two companies' mRNA vaccine stands as a beacon of hope for humanity in celebrating life outside the comfort of their homes worry-free.

Since COVID-19 enters the limelight of diseases, more and more people are getting infected by the devastating disease. As of Dec. 16, about 71 million people around the world are infected or reported to be positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, the death toll of the diseases is currently about 1 million deaths, as reported by the World Health Organization.

ALSO READ: Sacramento Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine: Who'll Get the First Wave?

Earlier this week, shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech were shipped across America. In Sacramento alone, ABC News reports that about 3 million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be sent out during the first shipment.

It can also be recalled that a detailed analysis is given by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains the efficacy of Moderna's mRNA vaccine stating that there is no available information that can stop the issuance of EUA on the company's COVID-19 vaccine.

This gives us a thought to ponder: if you were a COVID-19 survivor do you still need the vaccine for the disease?

Is the vaccine still needed even if you recovered from COVID-19?

Fact-Check: Do you Still Need vaccine After Having COVID-19?

(Photo : Steve Parsons - WPA Pool)
Entertainer Lionel Blair, age 92, receives the first of two injections with a dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine at a NHS vaccine centre that has been set up in the grounds of Epsom Racecourse on December 16, 2020 in Epsom, England.

Common vaccine knowledge is that it puts the disease and immune system to the getting to know stage.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) that the process of immunization involves the production of antigen-specific antibodies that works with the immune system to destroy the pathogen of bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The organization adds that vaccines do not only protect the individual, but also other people because it stops the diseases from spreading.

But how about if you were stricken with COVID-19 and recovered? You might be thinking that your immune system already knows SARS-CoV-2 and not getting the COVID-19 vaccines.

The answer is Yes, you still need the vaccine. The Conversation reports that even if an individual has recovered from COVID-19, they can still have benefited from the vaccination. The news site mentions a study that demonstrates hospitalized patients' immune response become exhausted making the immune memory to the virus not created efficiently, due to overwhelming infections.

Good RX exclaims that after being infected by COVID-19, the body makes antibodies that find and destroy SARS-CoV-2 in an individual's system. However, they also point out that these antibody levels decrease over time.

Meanwhile, Dr. Thomas Lamarre, infectious disease specialist from The Christ Hospital advises COVID-19 survivors in an interview with Cincinnati saying that it remains unknown how to complete immunity is post-infection and if there is immunity, the duration of it inside the study is still unclear.

Takeaway

Although experts point out that the immune response for SARS-CoV-2 exists inside the body after being infected, it is still unclear how long they will be staying. That is why COVID-19 vaccines are still encouraged to be taken by COVID-19 survivors.

Just like what The Conversation states, vaccines have been around a long time and saved more lives more than any medicine, even though getting it is still your choice.

Check out more news and information on COVID-19 and Vaccination on MD News Daily.