Cleveland Clinic vaccine study: Prioritize uninfected people
“This is still a new virus, and more research is needed. It is important to keep in mind that this study was conducted in a population that was younger and healthier than the general population. In addition, we do not know how long the immune system will protect itself against reinfection after COVID-19. It is safe to receive the COVID-19 vaccine even if you have previously tested positive, and we recommend all those who are eligible receive it.” The Cleveland Clinic
A Cleveland Clinic study found that employees who got COVID-19 were unlikely to get infected again, even if they didn’t get vaccinated.
In countries where vaccines are hard to come by, the study argues that doses should be limited to people who haven’t contracted the virus.
“This study shows that subjects previously infected with SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) are unlikely to get COVID-19 reinfection whether or not they receive the vaccine,” the study’s authors wrote. “This finding calls into question the necessity to vaccinate those who have already had SARS-COV-2 infection.”
But a statement from the Cleveland Clinic said more research is needed and that the hospital system “recommends those who are eligible receive the COVID-19 vaccine.”
The study looked at Cleveland Clinic employees, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, to see if people who already contracted COVID-19 needed the vaccine.
According to the study, the researchers started looking at 52,238 employees on Dec. 16. Among them, 2,579 had been previously infected, and 53% of them remained unvaccinated.
The previously infected employees, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, didn’t catch COVID-19 over the course of the five-month study, according to the data.
“Not one of the 1359 previously infected subjects who remained unvaccinated had a SARS-COV-2 infection over the duration of the study,” the study said.
The study’s authors concluded that people who had been infected by COVID-19 are unlikely to benefit from a vaccine, something that contradicts current messaging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The CDC website recommends that persons previously infected with SARSCOV-2 still get the vaccine,” the study said. “Despite these recommendations, credible reports of previously infected persons getting COVID-19 are rare. The rationale often provided for getting the COVID-19 vaccine is that it is safer to get vaccinated than to get the disease. This is certainly true, but it is not an explanation for why people who have already had the disease need to be vaccinated.”
The study said 49,659 employees were not previously infected, and 22,777 of them did not get the vaccine.
The study itself and a statement from the Cleveland Clinic pointed out that the research has limitations, and that people who were infected should still get the vaccine if it’s available.
The study did have some limitations, according to results published online. The Cleveland Clinic was not screening for asymptomatic employees, so “previously infected subjects who remained asymptomatic might have been misclassified as previously uninfected.” The study did say that it’s reassuring that no subjects developed symptoms.
The study’s authors also noted that five months was a short follow-up time, but that it was longer than other studies on vaccine effectiveness.
It’s also not known how the results will hold up to new variants of COVID-19, the study said.
“It is not known how well these results will hold if or when some of the newer variants of concern become prominent. However, if prior infection does not afford protection against some of the newer variants of concern, there is little reason to suppose that the currently available vaccines would either. Vaccine breakthrough infections with variants have indeed been reported.”
The study also expresses its strengths, including a large sample size and the accurate data it had, since its subjects worked in a health care setting where COVID-19 infections and vaccines were tracked.
According to the study’s authors, the findings could have worldwide implications and allow countries to prioritize people who haven’t been infected for vaccinations.
“Given such a scarcity of the vaccine, and the knowledge that vaccine does not provide additional protection to those previously infected, it would make most sense to limit vaccine administration to those who have not previously had the infection,” the study said in its conclusion. “In addition to profession, age, and comorbid conditions, previous infection should be an important consideration in deciding whom to prioritize to receive the vaccine.”
The study’s authors note that in other countries the vaccine is not as easy to come by as it is in the United States. As of May 17, only 17 countries had been able to vaccinate more than 10% of their population.
“The reality is that there is great disparity in the availability of vaccines across countries. Countries with limited supplies of vaccine have to prioritize how their supply of vaccines will be allocated within their populations.
In a statement on the results, the Cleveland Clinic said this information could help if there is a shortage of the vaccine. In the U.S., that’s currently not the case.
The study also showed the vaccine was extremely effective.
“This is still a new virus, and more research is needed,” the Cleveland Clinic said in a statement. “It is important to keep in mind that this study was conducted in a population that was younger and healthier than the general population. In addition, we do not know how long the immune system will protect itself against reinfection after COVID-19.
“It is safe to receive the COVID-19 vaccine even if you have previously tested positive, and we recommend all those who are eligible receive it.”
Reach reporter Sean Mcdonnell at 330-996-3186 or smcdonnell@thebeaconjournal.com.