Covid-19 is pandemic we are all fighting against. Today, one of the most effective weapons against the pandemic has been the vaccines developed by various pharmaceutical companies around the world. In India, we are using three vaccines - the CoviShield, Covaxin and Sputnik. Much of the public discourse has been focused on providing free passes to vaccinated individuals. However, there is increasing evidence that immunity gained from prior infection provides greater and more long term protection against severe Covid. A recent study in Israel showed natural immunity provided significantly higher protection compared to the mRNA vaccine used in that country: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.21262415v1

While a similar study is unavailable in India, it is reasonable to assume that natural immunity will provide at least as good an immunity against Covid-19 as any of the vaccines currently in use in India. Further, a joint task force of public health experts had recommended in June 2021, that "there is no need to vaccinate people with prior documented Covid-19 infection" and that "mass, indiscriminate and incomplete vaccination can also trigger mutant strains". https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/no-need-to-vaccinate-people-who-had-documented-covid-19-infection-suggests-health-experts20210611034938/

In light of these, I would like to petition to the Hon. Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji, Hon. Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviyaji and Director General, ICMR, Dr. Balram Bhargava to provide due consideration to the benefits of natural immunity arising out of prior Covid-19 infection. Citizens who have been tested positive for Covid-19 should be considered on par with those who have received both doses of the vaccine, with respect to undertaking travel, attending work and all other day-to-day activities. Further, it is essential to scientifically study and compare the long term protection offered by natural immunity vs vaccination so that our public policies can be determined in a fair, equitable, efficient and cost-effective manner that balances the need to protect lives and livelihoods. 

Here is just a small list of some of the more recent studies:

1) New York University, May 3, 2021 (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3838993

2) Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, May 24, 2021, published in Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03647-4

3) Cleveland Clinic, June 19, 2021 (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.01.21258176v3

4) Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle/Emory University, Washington, July 14, 2021, published in Cell Medicine (https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(21)00203-2#%20

5) University of California, Irvine, July 21, 2021 (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.14.452381v1

6) University of California, San Francisco, May 12, 2021 (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.12.443888v1

7) Israeli researchers, August 22, 2021 (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.19.21262111v1

8) Irish researchers, published in Wiley Review, May 18, 2021 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8209951/pdf/RMV-9999-e2260.pdf

9) Cornell University, Doha, Qatar, published in the Lancet, April 27, 2021 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00141-3/fulltext#%20

10) Israeli researchers, April 24, 2021 (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.20.21255670v1

11) French researchers, May 11, 2021

(https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.11.21256578v1)12 Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, published in Journal of Experimental Medicine (https://rupress.org/jem/article/218/5/e20202617/211835/Highly-functional-virus-specific-cellular-immune

13) Korean researchers, published in Nature Communications on June 30, 2021

(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24377-1?utm_source=other&utm_medium=other&utm_content=null&utm_campaign=JRCN_1_LW01_CN_natureOA_article_paid_XMOL)14 Rockefeller University, July 29, 2021 (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.29.454333v1

15) Researchers from Madrid and Mount Sinai, New York, March 22, 2021 (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.22.436441v1

Additional News Article:

1. https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/92836