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_If_ natural immunity lasts longer than vaccine immunity, does that mean those that have been infected would not need the regular booster shots?

by daenz 5y ago

ars 5y ago
Natural immunity and vaccine immunity are expected to last around the same amount time. This is for the simple reason that the mechanism that generates the immunity is similar. (Natural immunity being a bit more diverse, while vaccine focuses on a single protein.)
- Izkata 5y ago
  Possibly not. I can't really follow most of this, but from the abstract it sounds like the (Pfizer) vaccines don't necessarily trigger a B-cell/T-cell reaction unless you've previously been infected (in which case the vaccines strengthen what was already there due to natural immunity), and that's where long-lasting immunity comes from, since antibodies will eventually degrade over time (we're just not sure how long it would take for that to happen). https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/04/29/science.abh1282 https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/04/29/scie... > After one dose, individuals with prior infection showed enhanced T cell immunity, antibody secreting memory B cell response to spike and neutralizing antibodies effective against B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. By comparison, HCW receiving one vaccine dose without prior infection showed reduced immunity against variants. B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 spike mutations resulted in increased, abrogated or unchanged T cell responses depending on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) polymorphisms. Single dose vaccination with BNT162b2 in the context of prior infection with a heterologous variant substantially enhances neutralizing antibody responses against variants.
  - maxerickson 5y ago
    That study looks at the effect of a single dose of the vaccine. For people that haven't been previously infected, the second dose is the similar booster.
sodality2 5y ago
Maybe they add up like bonuses in a video game...

_If_ natural immunity lasts longer than vaccine immunity, does that mean those that have been infected would not need the regular booster shots?

by daenz 5y ago

_If_ natural immunity lasts longer than vaccine immunity, does that mean those that have been infected would not need the regular booster shots?

ars 5y ago

Natural immunity and vaccine immunity are expected to last around the same amount time. This is for the simple reason that the mechanism that generates the immunity is similar. (Natural immunity being a bit more diverse, while vaccine focuses on a single protein.)

Izkata 5y ago
Possibly not. I can't really follow most of this, but from the abstract it sounds like the (Pfizer) vaccines don't necessarily trigger a B-cell/T-cell reaction unless you've previously been infected (in which case the vaccines strengthen what was already there due to natural immunity), and that's where long-lasting immunity comes from, since antibodies will eventually degrade over time (we're just not sure how long it would take for that to happen). https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/04/29/science.abh1282 https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/04/29/scie... > After one dose, individuals with prior infection showed enhanced T cell immunity, antibody secreting memory B cell response to spike and neutralizing antibodies effective against B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. By comparison, HCW receiving one vaccine dose without prior infection showed reduced immunity against variants. B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 spike mutations resulted in increased, abrogated or unchanged T cell responses depending on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) polymorphisms. Single dose vaccination with BNT162b2 in the context of prior infection with a heterologous variant substantially enhances neutralizing antibody responses against variants.
- maxerickson 5y ago
  That study looks at the effect of a single dose of the vaccine. For people that haven't been previously infected, the second dose is the similar booster.

sodality2 5y ago

Maybe they add up like bonuses in a video game...