Letter to the Editor - December 2, 2021
Natural immunity vs vaccine effectiveness
In a recent editorial written by Nancy Mace and published in The Daniel Island News, she states: "If you’ve already had COVID, early studies are now confirming what 100 years of immunology and epidemiology would indicate — natural immunity is at least as good as the vaccine."
However, according to the CDC and Mayo Clinics (as well as other reputable scientific groups), that is not true. From the CDC: “…data further indicate that COVID-19 vaccines offer better protection than natural immunity alone and that vaccines, even after prior infection, help prevent reinfections."
And according to CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, "If you have had COVID-19 before, please still get vaccinated."
From the Mayo Clinic: "Getting COVID-19 offers some natural protection or immunity from reinfection with the COVID-19 virus. But it’s not clear how long this protection lasts." And this: "A recent study showed that unvaccinated people who already had COVID-19 are more than twice as likely as fully vaccinated people to get re-infected with the virus."
If you check the websites of other medical authorities, you will see the same information.
Rep. Mace did not cite where she obtained her (mis)information. While it was good for Rep. Nancy Mace to encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccination, she needs to check all her facts before submitting her opinions.
Diane Terrero
Beaufort (formerly Daniel Island)