Not only is immunity to Covid-19 from taking a vaccine much safer than infection due to the natural form of the virus, but it also offers a good chance of providing protection that is even greater than that provided by recovery from the virus Disease is caused. It is a form of immunity that is literally “superhuman”.
You don’t have to be a superhero to gain this type of immunity. This has already been verified with some vaccines that prevent viral infections, such as: B. Against HPV (which, if left untreated, can cause genital tumors) US experts Dennis Burton and Eric Topol from the Scripps Research Institute investigated the causes of Chickenpox highlighted.
For example, in the natural course of disease, HPV causes the body to take months to respond, and even then, antibodies are produced in small quantities. Two or three doses of the vaccine, given by intramuscular injections and containing a protein from the surface of the virus that is “packaged” in particles that simulate the structure of the virus, can completely protect patients from cancer caused by the pathogen.
“This also applies to Sars-CoV-2,” says Flávio da Fonseca, researcher at UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) and President of the Brazilian Society for Virology. “It is a complex virus that can interfere with the host’s immune response in a number of ways. Therefore, he manages, for example, to distort the reaction that is normally triggered by a natural infection. In the vaccinated person, the body’s response is not affected by these viral proteins, which can improve protection. “
A guide on the subject, produced by the British Society for Immunology in February 2021, also points out this possibility. “It is likely that the vaccine can induce immunity in a significant segment of the population that is more effective and lasting than that produced by natural infection,” the guide said. According to the publication, this is another reason why people who have had Covid-19 are also vaccinated, which enhances their normal response after recovery.
Other factors can also help vaccines for Sars-CoV-2 outperform natural infection (and the risk is much lower). The administration in two doses separated by a short interval, which was initially the most common vaccination method, can “train” the immune system more intensely than a single contact with the virus.
In addition, many vaccines contain so-called adjuvants – accessory substances that can activate the immune system in a way that is independent of the constituents of the virus itself and is responsible for creating a specific “memory” of antibodies and cells that fight against it Dedicate virus.
In the case of vaccines against Covid-19, which are made with RNA (DNA “Prime” molecule) and produce a very strong immune response, the vaccine can be said to act as an “adjuvant for itself”. This is because the mere presence of an RNA molecule foreign to the body creates an almost instant response that greatly stimulates the other effects of vaccination.
Why Covid-19 vaccines can induce superhuman immunity
Some infectious diseases like measles can induce lifelong immunity. In such cases, the person who survives the natural infection is free from the risk thereafter. The two-dose vaccine may not have this effect, although it will manage to stop the disease if the majority of the population receives it. However, other viral and bacterial infections naturally produce a weak immune response, but the vaccines are robust and long-lasting, capable of triggering protection. This is the case with vaccines against HPV and vaccines recently developed against chickenpox. This type of immunity is known as “superhuman”.
Why is this happening?
The vaccine does not contain the properties that viruses and bacteria use to escape the immune system. Using two doses helps “train” the immune system better. Certain vaccines contain adjuvants that increase the stimulus for the body’s defenses. The standardized formula reduces the likelihood of different reactions from person to person
3. There is preliminary evidence that vaccines against Covid-19 can have this effect. In any case, there is no doubt that they are much safer than a natural viral infection.