LETTER: Silence on natural immunity

Your article on mandatory vaccinations refers (“PSG’s Piet Mouton wants bans on those who shun vaccinations”, September 13). 

As an educated person with a critical, inquiring mind, the absence of any reasonable discussion on naturally acquired immunity continues to baffle me. The article was written as if natural immunity doesn’t exist and has no role in achieving herd immunity, even though Discovery Health’s own chief actuary estimates that 80% of South Africans have already been infected with Covid-19.

The same narrative is repeated like a broken record to incite us all into taking the shots, regardless of age, medical conditions or prior infection. Those who “shun” the jab are caricatured as ignorant antivaxxers who must be permanently exiled for their foolish, unloving, ungrateful choice.

But this narrative is based on false assumptions. As an individual who recovered from Covid-19 in June, before the vaccine rollout, I know this disease is serious. But I’ve also made an assessment of the risk/benefit ratio after prior infection, and can see no material benefit to taking the vaccine, only additional risk.

Regular antigen tests have consistently shown that I have strong antibodies to Covid-19 and, having experienced a condition called mast cell activation syndrome in the past, I know it is not wise to overstimulate an immune system.

A large peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet concluded that “natural infection appears to elicit strong protection against reinfection with an efficacy of about 95% for at least seven months”, with no evidence of waning immunity thereafter. I’ve not even mentioned the lasting T and B cells, which induce long-lived humoral immune memory.

Why do the president, Mouton and those calling for vaccine mandates never discuss the value of natural immunity? It may prove to be a game-changer, especially if 80% of our population has already been infected and can show with a very cheap antigen test from the pharmacy that they have antibodies.

The argument for vaccine mandates is based on false assumptions, and the public knows it. It’s why people don’t trust those pushing vaccines across the board. 

Rosie Moore 
Via email

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