In a preprint study of more than 7,000 individuals in Israel, researchers found that natural infection with COVID-19 beats vaccination with the mRNA injection in the long run.

Study authors noted that when compared head-to-head, vaccination initially showed higher antibody titers than natural infection, but the levels quickly dropped by up to 40% each month after vaccination, while natural infection dropped by less than 5% per month, showing longer-lasting immunity than the vaccine after just six months.

Specifically, 16.1% of vaccinated subjects had antibody levels below the seropositivity threshold of <50 AU/mL in six months, while only 10.8% of natural infection patients were below that level in nine months.

The study was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute and Center for Cancer Research.

SOURCE: medRxiv August 22, 2021