In some cities and towns in New York and California, walking into a restaurant without a COVID-19 vaccination card might get you booted out. No vaccine in some establishments means no soup for you!
This is sad but certainly not surprising. Why? Because the natural immunity conferred upon a person infected with a new virus was pretty much ignored or even denied for the last two years.
Ignored by policymakers. Ignored by many media outlets. Ignored by big pharma. Even ignored by many physicians.
As a result, if you contracted the virus named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes, named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and your immune system produced antibodies to fight it, that wasn’t considered sufficient protection to get you a pass into your favorite restaurant.
By local mandate in some jurisdictions, you were still required to get vaccinated.
Fortunately, a growing body of evidence is turning the tide, presenting proof that natural immunity from infection is at least as good, if not superior to, the protection afforded by vaccination.
Research Supports the Effectiveness of Natural Immunity Against COVID-19
Common sense leads some of us to believe that natural immunity is superior to that provided by vaccines. Vaccines are useful for preventing infection, but if someone already had the infection, getting vaccinated shortly thereafter makes little sense.
That’s the case with all infectious diseases. Most of us knew that. Until COVID-19. Then, due to a well-intentioned disinformation campaign, many people started to question their own wisdom. They needed additional proof.
And several studies delivered that proof with evidence of the effectiveness of natural immunity against COVID-19:
- In “Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections,” Sivan Gazit, Roei Shlezinger, Galit Perez, et al. conclude, “This study demonstrated that natural immunity confers longer lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization caused by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, compared to the BNT162b2 [Pfizer] two-dose vaccine-induced immunity.”
- In “Immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2 assessed for up to 8 months after infection,” Jennifer M. Dan, Jose Mateus, Yu Kato, et al. conclude, “Substantial immune memory is generated after COVID-19, involving all four major types of immune memory. About 95% of subjects retained immune memory at 6 months after infection.”
- In “Prevalence and Durability of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Unvaccinated US Adults by History of COVID-19,” Jennifer L. Alejo, MD; Jonathan Mitchell, MBBS; Amy Chang, MD; et al. report, “In this cross-sectional study of unvaccinated US adults, antibodies were detected in 99% of individuals who reported a positive COVID-19 test result, in 55% who believed they had COVID-19 but were never tested, and in 11% who believed they had never had COVID-19 infection. Anti-RBD [receptor-binding domain] levels were observed after a positive COVID-19 test result up to 20 months, extending previous 6-month durability data.”
Unfortunately, the researchers performing these studies often couch their own conclusions in doubt. The last study cited in the list above ends with this:
“Although evidence of natural immunity in unvaccinated healthy US adults up to 20 months after confirmed COVID-19 infection is encouraging, it is unclear how these antibody levels correlate with protection against future SARS-CoV-2 infections, particularly with emerging variants. The public health implications and long-term understanding of these findings merit further consideration.”
Here at BioDesign Wellness, we strongly disagree with the assertion in the studies when, despite the evidence, they continue to caution against the protection afforded by natural immunity. That’s just positioning, and it’s being overplayed at this point.
More Lies
Lying and concealing data about COVID-19 to advocate for vaccinations as the only solution doesn’t stop with disregarding the effectiveness of natural immunity.
Millions of people across the globe have died unnecessarily due to restrictions and strong denials about the effectiveness of treatments such as hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, monoclonal antibodies, and the potential benefits of supplements such as vitamins C and D, zinc, and quercetin.
In a recent study out of Israel titled “Pre-infection 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels and association with severity of COVID-19 illness,” Amiel A. Dror, Nicole Morozov, Amani Daoud, et al. conclude, “Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, pre-infection deficiency of vitamin D was associated with increased disease severity and mortality.”
You don’t see that on the nightly news.
A More Rational Approach
Thankfully for us in the Tampa Bay area, we’re allowed to take a less draconian approach to COVID-19. Here at BioDesign Wellness Center, we’re comfortable letting people make data-based medical decisions for themselves.
In our clinic, we’re fine with patients who choose not to get vaccinated — a choice made by about 30 percent of our patients, which is in line with the approximately 30 percent of Americans who’ve opted out.
It’s disturbing to think how many healthy people were forced or coerced to get vaccinated to keep their jobs or to appease family members without medical degrees who were terrified by what some media outlets chose to report.
These reports exaggerated the risks of infection and death while totally ignoring or even covering up the risks inherent in the vaccines.
Those forced out of their jobs included nurses — some of whom are our patients — and other healthcare professionals who were on the frontline during the pandemic.
For my part, I witnessed the irrational fear and the fallout from the mass hysteria daily in our practice — the isolation, depression, anxiety, financial strain, relationship discord, and more — as fear swept across our community.
And all of this occurred despite the fact that deep down. All the experts likely knew or at least strongly suspected that people who contracted the illness and subsequently recovered from it had built up immunity against infection and that we were getting closer and closer to achieving herd immunity with each passing day.
When Vaccination Makes Sense
Of course, there is a place for vaccination in those who are elderly or at risk or those who just want it. With COVID-19, selective vaccination makes sense — selecting those in need and helping them survive a potentially deadly situation.
After all, two-thirds of all Americans are overweight and obese, which certainly puts them at greater risk.
What doesn’t make sense is disregarding or even covering up vaccine risks and mandating vaccines for low-risk individuals or those who have already been infected and recovered from the virus.
Making Informed Decisions About Your Health and the Health of Your Family
If it sounds like we feel vindicated by the studies cited in this post, we do. And we’re not afraid to say it. It needs to be said because we serve you, the people of our community.
You deserve the truth when it comes to health, and you have a right to the data — all the data, not just what a small group of government officials decides you should see. How else can you be expected to make well-informed decisions about your health and the health of your loved ones?
The truth never changed during the pandemic, and it was obvious to those doctors who were paying attention. If you had the virus, you would have superior protection. There is a chance that you could still “catch” COVID again, but the risk was significantly diminished, and you would likely recover fully without experiencing any life-threatening symptoms.
About the Author: Dr. Matt Lewis, D.C., DACBN, CFMP®, specializes in diagnosing and treating the underlying causes of the symptoms related to chronic and unexplained illness through nutrition, lifestyle, chiropractic, and other natural approaches to whole-health healing in Tampa, Fla. Dr. Lewis has 20 years of experience practicing nutritional and holistic medicine. He earned his B.S. in Biology from Shenandoah University, his Doctorate in Chiropractic from Life University, his Diplomate status in Clinical Nutrition from the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, his CFMP® from Functional Medicine University, and his certification as a Digestive Health Specialist (DHS) through the Food Enzyme Institute. Dr. Lewis’ passion for health and wellness stems from his own personal experience. With a family history of autoimmune conditions and diabetes, and his own lab tests showing his genetic susceptibility to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroid), he has learned how to restore his own health and vigor to prevent the onset of these and other illnesses and live an incredibly active life. Through this process, he acquired a deeper understanding of health and wellness, which he now offers his patients in Tampa.
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Disclaimer: The information in this blog post about vaccination for the virus named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes, named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect current medical thinking or practices. No information contained in this post should be construed as medical advice from the medical staff at BioDesign Wellness Center, Inc., nor is this post intended to be a substitute for medical counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this post without seeking the appropriate medical advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a licensed medical professional in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.