Buzz
If you’ve managed to avoid catching any strain of COVID-19 so far, you might think, “Well, I’ll catch it eventually.” While that’s not necessarily the case (and certainly not the best mindset to have), it can feel that way.
The current wave of positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is a stark reminder of what we’ve always known could happen, but is now becoming more frequent: breakthrough infections following vaccination. But what does a breakthrough case mean for your immunity? Why is it still essential to get a booster after already having the virus?
Mytour interviewed Dr. Sachin Nagrani, medical director at Heal, to discuss the latest findings on Omicron and its implications for your vaccine regimen. If you’ve been among the many who tested positive recently, here’s why it’s still important to get that booster shot.
How do vaccines compare to natural immunity?
Both natural infection and vaccination trigger your immune system to create antibodies necessary to combat the disease, but their effectiveness differs.
It’s true that a natural infection provides a temporary boost to immunity. “Temporary is the crucial term,” says Nagrani. Immunity gained from an infection fades faster than immunity from a vaccine. “We don’t yet have studies directly comparing breakthrough cases to a booster dose [in terms of immunity],” Nagrani explains, “but based on what we know about the original vaccine, the expectation is that a booster provides longer-lasting immunity than a breakthrough infection.”
Why should you still receive the vaccine after an infection?
Amber D’Souza, PhD, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, shared with Verywell that “people who have had COVID are at a higher risk of reinfection if they haven’t been vaccinated compared to those who have been vaccinated.” As a result, experts still recommend getting a booster, even if there’s no Omicron-specific data available yet to support this advice.
While the lack of data may seem concerning, experts like Nagrani suggest that this uncertainty is precisely why vaccination remains important. “You can’t be certain about the degree of ‘natural immunity’ you acquire, or how long it will protect you,” Nagrani explains, “but a vaccine offers a far more reliable guarantee.”
Is a booster really necessary?
The recommendation for a booster doesn’t imply that the initial vaccines weren’t effective. “COVID-19 vaccines are proving to be highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death,” according to the CDC. “However, experts are noticing a decline in protection over time against mild to moderate illness, particularly among certain groups.”
Mytour’s senior health editor Beth Skwarecki argues that Omicron has made vaccination even more critical than it was before:
If you’ve previously had COVID and assumed you’re immune, you may be more vulnerable to Omicron than earlier variants. Vaccines continue to protect you and those around you for all the reasons they always have. Keep in mind,
vaccines are now available for everyone aged 5 and up
, so be sure to get vaccinated if you haven’t yet.
Nagrani also points out that the guiding purpose of the vaccines was to prevent large-scale hospitalization and death. That means that even though vaccines should make individual cases less severe, there’s still a risk of individual transmission–especially with the highly infectious Omicron.
When should you time your booster after infection?
If you tested positive for COVID and want to get your booster as soon as possible, it’s recommended that you at least wait until your symptoms are gone.
Otherwise, given the lack of Omicron-specific data, Nagrani estimates that you likely have a 30-day window of natural immunity between your breakthrough case and your booster appointment. Other experts give a larger window, like Dr. Angela Branche, who told the Miami Herald that vaccinated people who have a breakthrough infection likely do not need a booster “for three to six months after they have recovered, though it would be safe to obtain a booster dose as early as two weeks after full resolution of symptoms.”
While immunity timelines will vary from person to person, Nagrani’s stance is that it’s simply better not to wait. The protection you get from the vaccine will last longer and provide far more certainty than natural immunity. We don’t know exactly how a breakthrough infection compares to a booster vaccine, but we do know that natural immunity is imperfect.
Concluding thoughts
The emergence of Omicron seems to have perfectly aligned with the widespread availability of booster shots in the U.S., and Nagrani points out that most models predict Omicron will reach its peak transmission around mid-to-late January.
“As time passes, we’ll keep discovering better ways to manage the virus,” says Nagrani. Vaccines (including booster shots) are central to combating COVID-19. However, whether vaccinated or not, it’s crucial to continue following safety protocols, such as proper mask-wearing and social distancing.
Lastly, and perhaps this goes without saying: deliberately seeking breakthrough infections to further “boost” your immunity is not recommended. Here’s the CDC’s guide to receiving your booster.
