However, natural immunity tied to lower incidence of new infection<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Compared with individuals with natural COVID-19 immunity from previous infection, individuals who are vaccinated have lower rates of all-cause emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and mortality, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health<\/em>.<\/p>\n Wanzhu Tu, Ph.D., from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, and colleagues compared the cumulative incidence of infection, all-cause emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and mortality among 267,847 matched pairs of individuals who received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and individuals with previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. <\/p>\n The researchers found that six months after the index date, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was significantly higher in vaccine recipients (6.7 percent) than in those previously infected (2.9 percent). However, among the vaccinated individuals, all-cause mortality was 37 percent lower than that of the previously infected. Similarly, the rates of all-cause emergency department visits and hospitalizations were 24 and 37 percent lower, respectively, in the vaccinated than in the previously infected individuals.<\/p>\n “The significantly lower rates of all-cause emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and mortality in the vaccinated highlight the real-world benefits of vaccination,” the authors write. “The data raise questions about the wisdom of reliance on natural immunity when safe and effective vaccines are available.”<\/p>\n