Johns Hopkins professor Dr. Marty Makary has an op-ed out in the Washington Post where he argues that public health officials need to embrace natural immunity in order to restore trust:
Public health officials changing their position on natural immunity, after so much hostility toward the idea, would go a long way in rebuilding the public trust, as I explain in today's @washingtonpost https://t.co/R66pNZLTyk
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) September 17, 2021
Highlights in this must-read thread ==>
The 'natural immunity is unreliable' hypothesis was wrong. It should be abandoned. The latest study shows it's 27X more effective than vax immunity against symptomatic Covid. That's not a subtle signal in the data. Cherry-picking science is disingenuous.
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) September 17, 2021
The 'nat imm is unreliable' hypothesis did a lot of damage:
1. We vaccinated ppl already immune Dec-April when rationing vax (as thousands died/day)
2. Americans shut out of their jobs & colleges
3. Avoidable 2nd vax compl in nat imm, esp boys
4. Loss of public health credibility— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) September 17, 2021
It was not 'brain surgery' to predict that nat imm would be durable. The only 2 other coronaviruses that cause severe illness in humans (SARS & MERS) demonstrated durable immunity in survivors studied long-term. We also rarely see re-infections with severe Covid (clinical wisdom)
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) September 17, 2021
The 'ignore natural imm' doctrine is ruining the lives of 1st responders, nurses, students, soldiers, etc. It's not right. When you have a wrong hypothesis, you have to evolve your position as data emerge. Too much politics. Our leaders should show humility instead of digging in.
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) September 17, 2021
Let's stop this 10 month argument and come together to recognize the incredible power of the human immune system to mount an effective response to natural Covid infection. My plea back in January: https://t.co/9Ww5UwEofy
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) September 17, 2021
One reason public health officials may be afraid to acknowledge the effectiveness of nat immunity is they fear it will lead some to choose getting the infection over vax. But we can encourage all non-immune Americans to get vaccinated while still being honest about the data.
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) September 17, 2021
To say that someone who recovered from Covid 'must' or 'has to' get vaccinated is misrepresenting relative risk reduction & potential side effects. People can discuss w/ their doctor the option of 1-dose. Many countries count natural + 1 dose as fully-vaxed.
— Marty Makary MD, MPH (@MartyMakary) September 17, 2021
YES!!!
***