I’ll never forget being six-years old and separated from my family. My mother took me to the doctor when a rash developed on my body. Our family doctor urged her to farm me out to a neighbor until the German measles has passed from my body. Imagine watching your family from a neighbor’s house and feeling like you had leprosy. Although devastated, I now realize the doctor’s advice was right. I was quarantined because my mom was pregnant. Even though German measles is something you want to avoid, having it gave me natural immunity for life.
Today, German measles is a rare disease in our country due to the rubella vaccination, which was introduced in 1969 (after I had it). For some people like me, it can be a mild disease lasting only one week, but it can be a serious disease for pregnant women. Congenital rubella can cause many birth defects such as deafness, heart irregularities—even brain damage as it can disrupt the development of the fetus.
My husband was an administrator at the SC School for the Deaf when the final class of deaf students who’d been impacted in the womb during the last 1965 German measles epidemic graduated in 1984. The student population dropped dramatically some 18 years after the implementation of the vaccine. My brother Jack was glad they removed me from the Dent household for his sake!
When Alton and I started planning to have a family, my ob-gyn doctor immediately recommended I get the German measles vaccine. “I’ve already had the German measles, “ I replied. He ordered a blood test to make sure I still had the antibodies. I had them 20 years later. This is called lifetime immunity. The vaccine may occasionally need to be updated, but natural immunity generally lasts a lifetime.
Israel is the world’s leader in vaccinating its population—especially during this pandemic. As of August 1, 2021, they have vaccinated 67 percent of their population with 62 percent receiving two vaccines and 5 percent receiving one vaccine. Currently, our country stands at 58 percent vaccinated with 51 percent having two vaccines and 7 percent having one vaccine.
Israel has some of the highest Covid-19 vaccination rates in the world.
Israel has been using the Pfizer vaccine. Since May, a wave of new cases reveals that 40 percent of those cases were in fully vaccinated people. According to a new study, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine continues to show strong protection against serious illness and hospitalization after 6 months, but overall protection against the virus appears to wane after half a year. This is why Pfizer is recommending a booster shot after six months. Recently here in the US, CDC research in Provincetown, MA shows that 75 percent of people who got the Covid vaccine have now gotten the Covid-19 variant but with mild symptoms. Keep in mind that these Covid vaccines are guaranteed to lessen your risk of getting a severe case, not necessarily to prevent you from getting Covid in the first place.
Here’s what is more interesting. Less than one percent of the new cases in Israel came from those who’d already had Covid-19. (Datadashboard.health.gov.il/covid-19/general) This shows that natural immunity is powerful and the best immunity. Recent research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that those who’ve had Covid-19 tend to have immunity for up to a year. This overrides their previous January statement suggesting immunity to Covid-19 only lasts about 90 days. And Washington University in St. Louis has research indicating that even Covid-19 patients with mild cases may have lifetime immunity.
Research from the Cleveland Clinic shows that former covid patients receive no benefit from the covid vaccine. They recommend prioritizing vaccines to those who’ve not gotten covid-19. I’m hoping my immunity will be lifetime, but the antibody test can let me know if my immunity is waning. Unfortunately, there have been more adverse side effects from the vaccine in patients who formerly had Covid-19 who later got the vaccine.
Many vaccinated folks are getting the Covid-Variant, but they appear to be getting milder cases
I’m not saying it’s best to try to get Covid-19. What I am saying is that if you’ve gotten it and your immune system is working properly, you now have natural immunity. Should people like me who’ve had Covid-19 still be cautious? Yes, we should all be cautious and practice good common sense whether we’ve had it or gotten the vaccine or both. But realize that natural immunity wins every time. God has given us an amazing immune system. It’s our job to keep it working as He intended by practicing a healthy lifestyle daily.
What have you been learning about the Covid-19 vaccines? Is your state considering masks mandates again as this new research and statistics come to light?
For Your Health,
Ginny
Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com.
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