A New Definition of Full Vaccination

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Currently what is considered fully vaccinated is having 1-2 shots plus a booster. In this article I show how medical research is proving the new definition of full vaccination should be:

Natural immunity (surviving COVID) + 1 vaccine shot

It’s been over two years since we started dealing with this pandemic. COVID’s devastation and it’s effects on every day life is tiresome for millions if not billions. Despite our fatigue, COVID will be around for a long time and compared to when this all started we have more tools at our disposal now: multiple vaccine choices, monoclonal antibodies, anti-viral medications, significantly increased hygiene awareness. Throughout all this we have had many different answers to the question: what does it mean to be fully vaxxed.

Even now, the talking heads are discussing a second booster shot. Perhaps we as a nation need to pause and reassess the definition of being fully vaccinated. We have a lot of data to help us do that, but we also acknowledge there’s a lot we still don’t know. Thankfully, we have researchers with an insatiable curiosity who want to learn more.

The Race To Obtain Immunity

One of the most important tools to fight COVID is immunity. You can obtain immunity in two ways: passively – receiving antibody shots or actively – infection or vaccine induction.

When this all started, none of us had immunity to COVID unless we developed the illness and survived. Millions did survive, but many died as well. The scientific community embarked on an aggressive, innovative, and amazing journey to bring us vaccinations. Dr. Eric Topol tweeted a recent timeline of the development of the vaccines highlighting the fantastic nature of that journey; see his Twitter account @EricTopol, where these following milestones list came from.

Definitions of Full Vaccination

Two years into the pandemic, we are beginning to see data show that natural immunity plays a significant role in the fight. So far, the CDC has defined full vaccination as completing the primary round of one or two vaccines followed by a booster.

However, natural immunity and one vaccination is just as good if not better than being “fully vaccinated.” I would encourage you to follow Dr. Eric Topol on Twitter; he has daily tweets providing excellent information on what’s happening in the world of COVID, as well as other relevant health issues.

Natural Immunity Is Powerful

A recent large trial of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccination showed that prior infection plus one-shot provided 90% protection against moderate or severe disease, compared to 56% just from the single-shot by itself. Keep in mind that the CDC recognizes being fully vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as two shots. Another CDC report out of California that included the Delta wave shows the hospitalization rate for the vaccinated was 0.7% but 0.3% for the unvaccinated with prior infection or natural immunity. This demonstrates that natural immunity is very powerful.

Proof That “Natural Immunity + One Shot” is Most Effective

Natural immunity has shown significant antibody persistence compared to vaccinations. The natural process also develops immune responses against the entire virus, whereas vaccine immunity is only induced against the spike protein. The vaccines do work. Make no mistake about that. But natural immunity is a powerful thing. Robust protection is when natural immunity is combined with one shot.

Even with natural immunity, the Omicron variant has been able to dance around that protection. A new report from Israel of 150,000 people, half vaccinated and the other half unvaccinated, showed an 82% lower risk of reinfection in the vaccinated. This means that even one vaccine with prior immunity is highly protective, and they did not show that more than one vaccine was any better than just one plus natural immunity. Natural immunity +1 was demonstrated as effective in several other studies, including at the Cleveland Clinic and in the United Kingdom. Adding two or three shots had no additional benefit.

The Big Takeaway

So the big takeaway from all this is that if you’ve never had COVID, your vaccine of choice +1 booster will be highly protective. If you’ve had proof of COVID, only one vaccine shot is necessary to provide excellent protection. I suspect the CDC will eventually come around to this position as the data gets stronger and stronger on these points. The CDC has shot itself in the foot numerous times in the last two years. They can begin rehabilitating its reputation by acknowledging that natural immunity is a significant force. The CDC won’t listen to me, but they might listen to Dr. Eric Topol.

Long Term Effects of COVID

Don’t take COVID too lightly; the further we get into this, the more we learn about the long-term effects of COVID. One year after COVID survival, there’s a 40% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. See this link to Nature. It will probably be years before we realize the full impact of COVID on people beyond hospitalization and death. So while you may have skated by unscathed so far, it’s still prudent to consider vaccination. Now, we have proof that natural immunity +1 shot affords significant protection.

To your good health,

Kevin McCurry MD

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