Authors: By Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D.Jun 8 2021
Scientists from the Cleveland Clinic, USA, have recently evaluated the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19) vaccination among individuals with or without a history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.
The study findings reveal that individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection do not get additional benefits from vaccination, indicating that COVID-19 vaccines should be prioritized to individuals without prior infection. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server (not peer-reviewed).
Background
In the United States, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided emergency use authorization for two mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, which have shown high efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease in clinical trials. However, the ability to vaccinate a large part of the global population is limited by vaccine supply.
Further Reading
- Cleveland Clinic Statement on Previous COVID-19 Infection Research
- Critical Review: COVID-19 vaccines can enhance protective immunity in previously infected people
- Preprints: how draft academic papers have become essential in the fight against COVID
- Correlates of protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2 assessed for up to 8 months after infection
In order to ensure fair access to vaccines throughout the world, the COVID-19 vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative was launched. In many countries, especially those with low socioeconomic status, there is a serious shortage of vaccines. Thus, in order to get the maximum vaccine benefits, the most vulnerable population should be prioritized for the vaccination.
Currently, most countries prioritize vaccination for healthcare and other frontline workers, elderly people, and people with comorbidities.
To further narrow down the prioritization criteria, the scientists in the current study have evaluated the necessity of COVID-19 vaccines for individuals who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2.
For More Information: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210608/No-point-vaccinating-those-whoe28099ve-had-COVID-19-Findings-of-Cleveland-Clinic-study.aspx