Quote:
Originally Posted by
BradC
The problem is that requires subtlety and that is often either mis-communicated or misunderstood (or both).
Seeing as it's Rabbit season rather than Duck season, can I have a stab at this and see if my understanding is correct? I'm procrastinating so this might ramble.
As I understand it, "Immunity" as defined by the Oxford dictionary sounds like an absolute term. "Immunity" : "the body's ability to avoid or not be affected by infection and disease". The "or not be affected by" does provide a bit of leeway though. That possibly could apply to someone who was asymptomatic, although you'd have to worry about any potential un-diagnosed long-covid effects. Anyway, back to the ramble ....
The MMR vaccine gives me immunity against Measles. I can rub up and down against someone who has it and "I'm alright jack" although I might be arrested later if she makes a complaint. It is also my understanding that the current crop of COVID Vaccines are more like training wheels for the immune system. They won't stop me getting it, they won't stop me passing it on, they won't stop me dying from it if I'm particularly unfortunate, but the likelihood is they will result in a reduced viral load (meaning I'm far less likely to pass it on) and significant reduction of severe symptoms and long COVID effects.
What the vaccine(s) won't currently provide is the Oxford definition of Immunity.
As for an infection providing any form of immunity, you'd have to ask my Niece who has had it several times in several months. Having said that we believe the first infections were Delta and the last Omicron, but as they're a bit lax in testing across the UK can't really confirm specifics.
Sound reasonable or am I wide of the mark?
Well, WHO would appear to regard it as a non-absolute term:
We are still learning about how long immunity to COVID-19 lasts from natural infection, and from vaccination. We are now starting to see evidence that the immunity you get after having COVID-19 can be strong. However, the type of immunity that's developed after infection varies from person to person, making it less predictable than immunity after vaccination. Scientists are working hard to understand this better.
What we do know is that COVID-19 is a life-threatening disease that can have long-term consequences. We also know that the WHO-authorised COVID-19 vaccines have been safely given to billions of people. It is much safer to get vaccinated than it is to risk getting COVID-19. Get vaccinated as soon as it’s your turn and keep doing everything you can to protect yourself and others.
As we learn more about COVID-19 and immunity, WHO continues to update our guidance and recommendations.
As does the CDC:
FACT: Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is a safer and more dependable way to build immunity to COVID-19 than getting sick with COVID-19.
