Natural COVID immunity should not stop vaccination – Bisasor-McKenzie

While acknowledging that persons who have been infected with COVID-19 may develop natural immunity to the virus, Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie says that such individuals should still get vaccinated, and they should not wait past 90 days after recovery to get inoculated.

“The recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) is that, while there is a six-month period in which persons can say they have natural immunity for COVID-19, persons who choose to wait for vaccination should wait no more than three months, or 90 days, because there is the possibility of being reinfected,” Bisasor-McKenzie said last Thursday while addressing the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ latest ‘COVID Conversation’ online press briefing.

According to Bisasor-McKenzie, although former COVID-19 patients may develop a natural immunity that can last up to a year, there is no certainty that every person who has been exposed will develop that immunity.

“The fact is that persons who have had an infection will develop some natural immunity, and the studies we have seen have shown that that immunity may go up to six months, and we have even seen reports that say it goes up to a year. What we have to recognise is that the certainty and level of response are unpredictable,” said Bisasor-McKenzie.

“We cannot say for sure that everybody who would have been exposed would have six-month immunity. Some persons may choose to wait six months to have that vaccine dose, but they have to be aware that there may be some re-exposure to other variants of the virus,” Bisasor-McKenzie added. “If you choose to wait, do not wait more than three months to get the vaccine. Once your symptoms have settled and you have completed your isolation period, you can get the vaccine.”

VIABLE HEALTH OPTION

The chief medical officer’s recommendation came after Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton dismissed suggestions that nutraceutical health, which involves the use of natural foods and herbs to treat disease, could be considered as a viable health option in Jamaica’s ongoing fight against the coronavirus.

“I am always guided by the clinical team as to what is the remedy for any disease or virus in the population, and in the case of COVID, the response right now is prevention, first and foremost, and second is treatment. As it relates to nutraceuticals, that has not been recommended to me, and I have to go by the advice of the clinical recommendations, so I will stick with the science,” Tufton said on Wednesday while touring several COVID-19 vaccination sites in St James.

The use of natural remedies to fight the coronavirus had been suggested by nutraceutical supporters, including the leaders of the Scott’s Hall and Charles Town Maroon communities as far back as May 2020. However, Dr Melody Ennis, the Ministry of Health’s director of family services, said in January this year that no evidence exists to suggest that natural remedies are superior to COVID-19 vaccination.

To date, Jamaica has recorded 74,645 cases of COVID-19, including 26 cases of the virus’ Mu strain, against which COVID vaccines may potentially not be as effective, compared to other strains.

– Christopher Thomas