Who Has the Strongest Immunity Against the Omicron Variant

Immune System Basics

The immune system has various parts and can seem complicated. First, know that you are born with some immunity defenses. Your skin, cough reflex, mucus, stomach acid and ability to have a fever are all a part of your innate immune system which you are born with. Next, you have immunity called acquired immunity. This develops throughout one’s lifetime. As you are exposed to different types of invaders or infections your immune system builds and stores cells to fight against these invaders. These cells are located in your blood and are called white blood cells. There are several types of white blood cells and each type has a specific job. You also build up antibodies in your blood which directly fight foreign invaders.

How Do Vaccinations Work

Vaccines help you build immunity by imitating an infection. When you are injected with the vaccine your body thinks that you have an infection so it starts to build cells and antibodies against it. Many times people have minor side effects from vaccines such as fever and fatigue but this is expected because your body thinks that it is fighting an infection. Your body remembers the infection and will store cells and antibodies so that in the future it can fight that infection off again. No vaccine is foolproof but even if you have a breakthrough case of an infection you are likely to have a less severe illness.

What We Know About the Omicron Variant So Far

Since Omicron is still so new, there are many unknowns about it. As of now, Omicron has spread to ninety countries. What we know so far about Omicron is that it is likely to spread more easily than the original COVID virus. Many are questioning whether the current vaccines will provide protection against the Omicron variant.

People that are fully vaccinated can still get sick with the Omicron variant. More research is needed to determine if Omicron will cause a more or less severe illness than the other variants. The vaccinations that are currently on the market are expected to protect against Omicron but breakthrough infections are expected. Being vaccinated is still the best course of action because it can protect people from getting a severe case of COVID. The treatments currently being used for COVID are expected to be effective against the Omicron variant but more research is needed.

Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID. It is recommended to wear a mask in public even if you are fully vaccinated, practice hand hygiene, and social distance. If you are fully vaccinated it is possible to have a breakthrough infection. Like all vaccines, COVID vaccines are effective at preventing most infections but they are not foolproof. If you are fully vaccinated and have a breakthrough infection you are less likely to have a severe case of the illness then someone who is unvaccinated. Your symptoms will likely be less severe and you are less likely to be hospitalized or die. Even if you have already had COVID, it is recommended that you get vaccinated and boosted.

Natural Immunity Versus Vaccines

Vaccines have been shown to provide stronger immunity to COVID than natural immunity. The Centers of Disease Control (CDC) reports that even if you have previously been infected with COVID if you choose not to get vaccinated you are more than twice as likely to be reinfected then compared to people who are fully vaccinated. This suggests that vaccines offer better protection than natural immunity. Getting vaccinated is the best course of action to protect yourself and others. The study followed hundreds of people who had been previously infected with COVID and then did not receive any COVID vaccines. They found that those people had a 2.34 times more chance of getting COVID again versus people who had been fully vaccinated (CDC, 2019).

Like any infection, there are circumstances where people can get COVID but their immune system does not “remember” the infection or does not build enough antibodies to effectively fight another COVID infection in the future. This is one of the reasons why vaccines are superior to natural immunity. If you receive the two initial vaccines and a booster shot, that gives your body three separate occasions to build and store immunity cells to fight a future possible infection.

Some people still prefer natural immunity to vaccinations. In order to have natural immunity to COVID you must get COVID. The problem with this is that COVID can be deadly and can cause severe long term health complications. It is impossible to predict whether you will die from COVID or have long term effects from it. Vaccines can cause side effects but they are a safer option.

Conclusions

It is helpful to educate yourself on the basics of how immunity and vaccines work. The Omicron variant is still very new and research needs to be done in order to learn more about it. It is expected that the current vaccines and treatments will be effective against the Omicron variant. Being fully vaccinated and boosted is the best method to protect yourself and others from any COVID variant even though breakthrough cases are expected. It is important to continue to wear masks, do hand hygiene, and practice social distancing. Being vaccinated against COVID is preferable to natural immunity.

Resources

“Coronavirus Disease 2019.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019, www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0806-vaccination-protection.html.

“Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Dec. 2021, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html.

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