The natural-immunity standoff

Here's the latest news from the global pandemic.

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After Eric Grunor's harrowing experience with Covid-19 early this year, you might think he would rush to get immunized.

Grunor, a 54-year-old Texas insurance broker, became so sick in January that he struggled to get off the couch. After waking in the middle of the night winded and barely able to talk or lift his head, he went to the emergency room. His wife thought she would be a widow.

Eric Grunor

Source: Eric Grunor

Yet Grunor remains unvaccinated, one of a stubborn contingent of Americans who say they have natural immunity and thus don't need to get the shots. Grunor also said he has concerns about the shots, including his belief that there's a lack of clarity about long-term safety.

"I'm in the category of person who would least need the vaccine, at this point," he said. "To me, natural antibodies are better than any man-made antibodies."

More than 100 million people in the U.S. have probably been infected with Covid, according to one recent estimate. Many of them have become proponents of natural immunity and are among the roughly 126 million Americans who remain unvaccinated, about 38% of the population.

Their position got a little more complicated this week when President Joe Biden said he would require employers with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccination or weekly testing for workers. But that move seems unlikely to sway those who say their previous illness affords them all the protection that they need.

The debate over natural immunity has helped to fuel vaccine hesitancy. Some research does indicate that an earlier case of Covid protects as well or better against the delta strain than vaccination alone. But the science isn't unanimous: Other findings suggest two-dose vaccines were at least as effective as natural immunity.

The combination of natural immunity and vaccine-induced protection has long been seen as a route out of the pandemic. In the U.S., the concept became politicized early on, as opponents of masking, social distancing and other public health measures claimed that when enough people had been infected with the coronavirus, the pandemic would burn out.

At the moment, however, the debate is resulting in a lot of frustration for public-health workers trying to sway the wary to get a shot — and has been costly for those who have miscalculated the risks.—Emma Court

We want to know what you need to know. So ask us. Each week we will select one or two commonly asked questions and put them to our network of experts so you and your families can stay safe—and informed. Get in touch here or via CovidQs@bloomberg.net.

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