COVID19: Study shows jab immunity better than infection

A Cyprus study suggests that vaccinating against COVID-19 produces significantly higher levels of antibodies than natural infection immunity.

Researchers took samples from 591 people who did not fall ill and did not vaccinate, people who contracted the virus and did not get vaccinated, those vaccinated and did not get ill, and people who fell ill and were vaccinated.

Releasing the study’s findings, the University of Nicosia said there was “a significant difference in the antibody levels produced by natural infection and vaccination”.

“Vaccinating with any one of the approved vaccines in Cyprus leads to the production of significantly higher levels of antibodies than natural infection and potentially to higher humoral immunity (antibody-mediated immunity),” said the university.

The study also found that vaccinated people who had fallen ill present “exceptionally high antibody levels, which shows the importance of getting vaccinated even if one has contracted the virus in the past.”

It further noted that those vaccinated with one jab produced more antibodies than those who did not get vaccinated at all.

UNIC said the individuals participating in the study were “blindly” recruited volunteers undergoing routine testing at the Yiannoukas labs.

The first part includes data on the antibody levels in the population, and the second part will evaluate the immunity provided by T cells (cellular immunity).

As the general coordinator of the research and President of the Department of Life and Health Sciences of the University of Nicosia, Professor Kyriakos Felekkis stated: “Continuous evaluation of immunity levels in the population with data collection is very important at this stage of the pandemic”.

“The results of our research will facilitate the formation of an evidence-based policy, thus boosting the strategy of the vaccination program“.