Opinion: Don’t believe the hype around Djokovic - catching COVID is no substitute for the jab
Amid all the hype surrounding the Novak Djokovic saga, one troubling myth needs to be dispelled: that being infected with SARS-CoV-2 and recovering from COVID-19 provides adequate immunity from the disease, making vaccination unnecessary.
Novak Djokovic may have argued his brush with COVID meant he did not need immediate vaccination, but don’t think that’s all you need to be protected.With each vaccination, protective immune response expands, refines and better equips the army poised to protect against future infection. If the virus enters and attaches to cells of the upper airways, an immune system primed by vaccinations is both more potent and more rapidly activated.
For the unvaccinated but not yet infected, the message is clear: the extremely contagious Omicron variant changes your risk calculation and you need to forego hesitancy, resist peer pressure and get vaccinated. The Omicron strain does cause serious disease, albeit less frequently than Delta. Further, 10 per cent of current infections are caused by Delta.in the current wave and thousands face “long COVID” in the months and years to come.
For the many double vaccinated who have recently acquired COVID-19, the infection should be seen as equivalent to a booster. But still get your booster. It is safe to do so, but the benefit is likely to be greater if left for at least a month after symptoms have settled.
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