Hybrid immunity 'provides higher Covid protection'
LONDON, January 19, 2023
A mix of Covid-19 infection and vaccination, known as hybrid immunity, provides higher protection against severe disease and hospitalisation, says a new study.
A paper published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases presents a systematic review of the level of immunity derived from Covid-19 infection and from a mix of infection and vaccination.
Based on data from 26 studies, the analysis shows that protection against severe disease and hospitalisation remains high 12 months after developing hybrid immunity or having an infection, when compared to unvaccinated and uninfected individuals.
One year after developing hybrid immunity, a person had at least a 95% lower chance of getting severe Covid-19 or needing hospitalisation, while those who were infected a year ago but not vaccinated had a 75% lower chance of the same, it said.
Protection against reinfection was lower than that against severe disease, though still substantial. Those with hybrid immunity had a 42% lower chance of being reinfected one year later. Those who had been infected before, had a 25% lower chance of the same.
These findings are the product of a joint collaboration between World Health Organization, the Unity Studies and SeroTracker. -TradeArabia News Service
