2023-09-12 16:48:00
New Study Finds Vaccination Reduces Covid-19 Transmission, but Immunity from Previous Infection is Even More Effective
Geneva researchers have conducted a new study that provides further evidence of the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccination in reducing the transmission of the virus. However, the study also highlights that immunity acquired after recovering from a Covid-19 infection has an even greater impact on virus transmission.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Geneva and the University Hospital of Geneva (Unige and HUG), analyzed the contacts of 50,000 individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus between June 2020 and March 2022. The findings of the study were published in the prestigious journal “Nature Communications”.
According to the study, an infected person transmitted the virus to an average of just over three out of ten of their contacts. However, during the Omicron variant surge, this number increased to four out of ten contacts. The researchers noted that immunization through vaccination, previous infection, or a combination of both significantly reduced the number of infected contacts.
Specifically, the study found that an immunized individual only infected an average of one in ten of their contacts. However, the protective effect of vaccination or previous infection waned after a few months.
Interestingly, the study found that individuals who had acquired immunity through a previous Covid-19 infection had a stronger protective effect compared to those who were vaccinated. Nevertheless, the researchers cautioned that there are still risks of infection, particularly for individuals at higher risk.
The study also revealed that vaccination offered longer-lasting protection against infection and performed better when faced with emerging variants of the virus.
The authors of the study emphasized that the protective effect of vaccination and previous infection primarily works by preventing individuals from getting infected themselves, with a secondary benefit of reducing the risk of infecting others.
These findings add to the growing body of evidence supporting the importance of vaccination in controlling the spread of Covid-19. However, the study also underscores the significance of natural immunity gained through previous infection. As the world continues to battle the pandemic, policymakers will need to consider a multi-faceted approach that includes both vaccination and targeted protection for individuals with prior infections.]
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