CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Antibodies are the body's response to a virus and having them helps to protect someone from getting infected with COVID-19. Doctors say there are two ways to get those antibodies: through COVID-19 infection or through vaccination.
There are a lot of reasons keeping holding back someone who is hesitant from getting vaccinated. But doctors say already having COVID-19 and the natural antibodies that come with it isn't a good enough reason to skip the shot.
But, it is a common thought process.
“No, no. I wouldn't now. I already got the antibodies in my system from having the virus so my body should be well adapted to it,” Kurt Odom, who had COVID-19, said about getting vaccinated.
That is true, people who have had COVID-19 do have the antibodies, but doctors say the strength of the protection is different for everyone and doesn't stand up to that of the vaccine.
“What we know about vaccination is it gives you a more even and predictable immune response and an incredible amount of protection to someone whose had COVID before,” Dr. David Priest with Novant Health said.
Studies show people who have had the virus before can get it again. And while vaccines aren't perfect and breakthrough cases are possible, those cases are rare and likely mild.
“Just think about how it disrupts your life. You've got to be out of work or school for 14 days and you may infect people around you,” Dr. Priest said. He added that this is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated that is spilling over onto the vulnerable vaccinated.
Right now, 91% of the people in the hospital are unvaccinated. Of the 9% who had the shots, most are older with underlying health conditions.
“A better number is to say of the individuals in the community who have been vaccinated, what percentage of those people who end up in the hospital are dying? And that number is less than 1%. That’s the number to focus on with the importance of how well vaccination works,” Priest said.
He added people who get COVID-19 this August are 15 times more likely to die than those who got it last August. That’s because the delta variant is that much more contagious and dangerous.
Experts say the more people who get vaccinated, the less opportunity the virus has to mutate even more.
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