Thread by @michaelmina_lab

This study is important

For unscientific reasons we in scientific/academic community downplayed impact of Covid infections in effort to get more ppl vax’d

We publicly project that infections don’t offer much immunity -stating only Vax does -> but this goes against evolution

1/

My goal is to say simply -
Focus on the science and the data and what we know of biology. Then message and create policy off that.

Yes we want everyone vax’d. But really we want everyone protected. With >50% of Americans exposed/infected… we should at least consider this…

2:

We absolutely do not want ppl to intentionally go out and get infected. But we also can’t reverse time. We know a majority of Americans have been infected. Given that protection is derived from infection - assuming you do OK through it - we should leverage that, not ignore it

3:

If infections are helping us to reduce onward transmission, this is crucially important information to know and recognize.

But alas we have a@regulatory agency in the FDA that states to not look at pre-existing immunity as a market of past infection. This is a mistake

4:

I want to emphasize that I am not advocating to not get vaccinated. I advocate quite the opposite based on all that we know of the benefits of vaccines. But being pro-vaccine does not and should not mean being anti-reality. We should leverage the infections that have occurred 5/

And to all those who will call this thread “anti-vax” - I’m just trying to stick to the data. Give ppl good data. Gain trust. And public health can prevail.

Also just to clarify -the study is showing that protection from transmission is best among people who have previously been infected and then got vaccinated

However protection from disease and hospitalization is good from vaccination alone. Though of course it diminishes in time