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What is Hybrid Immunity?
The latest buzz phrase about COVID-19 is “hybrid immunity.” We’re told it’s a good thing, so let’s unpack this.
What is Hybrid Immunity?
It’s actually very simple. It turns out that people who caught COVID-19 and then got vaccinated have stronger immunity than people who only caught it and people who only got vaccinated.
Much stronger immunity. The reason appears to be that because natural infection and vaccination are just that little bit different, having both increases the breadth of antibodies your immune system produces.
The more variety of antibodies, the better off you are when you encounter a new variant of the virus.
There’s also some indication that this hybrid immunity will last longer than either infection or vaccination (although you should still get a booster if recommended, as this isn’t at all proven).
Some doctors are saying people who have had COVID-19 should only get one dose of the vaccine. However, as it’s hard to test the actual immune response, the CDC continues to recommend a full series for convalescent people.