[billycorben2]

I am 28. A programmer with a sedentary lifestyle.

I was covid positive last October and kicked it fine (verified with a test).

I was tested 2 weeks ago for antibodies, my results were a “76” (I assume percentage?).

Why should I get vaccinated?

[Thrymr]

> I was tested 2 weeks ago for antibodies, my results were a “76” (I assume percentage?).

It does not mean percentage. The fact that we cannot directly relate antibody levels to immunological protection is one of the reasons we can't [yet?] use antibody tests to "count" as immunity.

[oppositelock]

While I posted above about being on the fence about vaccinating my kid, I was in a similar case as you. I'm in my late 40's, and I came down with covid early in the pandemic, before general availability of PCR tests, but I did manage to get an antibody test, and I was positive.

I did get vaccinated because the vaccine reinforces antibodies which are correlated with fewer complications upon subsequent infection. There are some epitopes on sars-cov-2 which closely resemble parts our own clotting factors and interferons, and the randomized nature of our immune response can lead to some less desirable antibodies being present. So, it seems a vaccine only helps.

One thing about getting vaccinated after recovery from covid, though, is that both the first and second doses knock you on your butt, not just the second.

[outworlder]

> the randomized nature of our immune response can lead to some less desirable antibodies being present

Exactly! The point of many COVID vaccines is to teach the immune system to destroy a very specific and very important protein, which is the spike protein. Without that the virus can't enter cells. It's not present in our own body.

We have no idea what kind of immune response any given person might get with an actual infection. Reinfections are a thing.

[HWR_14]

People get sick with COVID multiple times, and natural immunity is more hit-or-miss with regards to protection against variants. Reinfections are also frequently nastier than the first infection. It also costs absolutely nothing and at worst will act as an additional safety that makes you feel uncomfortable for a few days.

So why not get vaccinated?

[ALittleLight]

The research I've seen is that people with a previous infection are much more protected than the vaccinated.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.21262415v...

[genewitch]

Why would a reinfection be worse? How would the spike proteins in the pfizer, moderna, and J&J shots work at all if that was the case?

[not2b]

To provide additional protection (especially since given that timing it almost certainly wasn't the delta variant that you got). Maybe you are protected by your previous infection and maybe you aren't.

[nsxwolf]

What's the connection to Delta here? They haven't updated the vaccines.

[steelframe]

I was tested 2 weeks ago for antibodies after receiving the vaccine. My results were "0." And yet I experienced all the typical side effects from the vaccine, indicating that I probably had an immune response to it.

Nobody knows what any particular antibody count means with respect to risk to your health from a future COVID infection. Instead, we need to be looking at the hard statistics about who's getting admitted into hospitals and who's dying.

[billycorben2]

Genuine question: Do we have data on hospitalization and mortality rates of unvaccinated but previously exposed?

[dbetteridge]

To turn your question on its head.

It is a free vaccine that could save your life, has been safely administered to billions of people and greatly reduces the odds of you getting infected, transmitting to others or ending up in hospital.

What is the downside? or are you just apathetic to getting it.

[pengaru]

Last October, so likely not Delta variant.

It's been widely reported by authorities on the subject that vaccination after infection with Alpha confers immunity to all currently known variants.

The same is not true for natural immunity from just an Alpha infection AIUI.

[n8henrie]

I've seen several patients that were sicker the second time they got COVID, including people dying in their 20s and 30s. I can't speculate on what their antibody tests might have showed beforehand.

Why would you not get vaccinated?

[rajin444]

Lack of evidence.

Your post is using scary anecdotes to try and persuade. That does not come off as trustworthy.