Covid-19: vaccination, infection… in which case are you best protected against serious forms of illness – LaDepeche.fr

While the number of hospitalizations linked to Covid-19 continues to increase in France, two studies are looking at the immunity acquired after infection with the virus and after vaccination. The verdict is clear: it is better to get vaccinated after being infected with the virus. Is your body better protected against SARS-CoV-2 after being infected or vaccinated? Two teams of researchers have tried to answer this question! Two studies published this Friday, April 1 in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases come to the conclusion that it is better to be vaccinated after being infected with the virus. The immunity conferred after a Covid-19 infection would thus be reinforced after vaccination. A strengthening of immunity… The first of these two studies was carried out in Brazil: the country was hard hit by the pandemic, nearly 660,000 deaths linked to the virus have been recorded for two and a half years. The work was based on clinical data from nearly 200,000 Brazilians infected with the virus. A sample of sick people did not receive any doses of vaccine. After a period of observation, a portion of these patients were given a vaccine dose from Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, or Johnson & Johnson-Janssen. To read also: Covid-19: “hypoxia”, “brain fog”… these new symptoms which can make it possible to know if you are infected The observation? “These four vaccines prove to give additional and substantial protection to people already infected with Covid-19 before,” says Julio Croda, co-author of the study, who explains that with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the risks of hospitalizations and deaths, for example, are reduced by almost 90% after an injection and contamination. … over time The second study, carried out in Sweden, is in line with the first. The document thus affirms that people who have been infected with the virus and who have been vaccinated after being contaminated benefit from high immunity for about twenty months. This scheme would also reduce the risk of reinfection by more than 65%. Also read: INFOGRAPHICS. Covid-19: why is the epidemic blazing in Brittany, when the region is the most vaccinated in France? The fact remains that these two studies were carried out well before the appearance and spread of the Omicron variant (and its little brother BA.2), which considerably upset the epidemic landscape. The variant, discovered in South Africa, is not only more contagious than the Delta variant, but it also shows some resistance to the vaccines that are used today. These two studies, however, suggest that “hybrid immunity, acquired by being exposed to both infection and vaccination, […] could give lasting protection, including against new variants”, explains Professor Pramod Kumar, Indian researcher. To read also: Covid-19: new variants, lull… what are the scenarios envisaged by the WHO for the future of the pandemic? At present, more than 22,000 infected people are hospitalized in France. 1,500 patients are currently in intensive care: figures have been constantly increasing for more than a week now. Vaccination: what recommendations in the event of a infection? If you have been infected with the virus, but are awaiting a dose of vaccine, the Haute Autorité de Santé recommends that you vaccinate “immunocompetent people”, preferably with a single dose 2 to 6 months after infection Please note: If infection occurs when vaccination has been started or completed, it is necessary to consult your healthcare professional.