Currently, scientists and medical professionals are uncertain as to how long protection from a natural infection or vaccine immunity lasts. While the duration of natural immunity is not exactly known, Dr. Goel suggests it could last from 3 to 12 months.
He is of the opinion that the Immunity gradually wanes over a period of time due to fall in the levels of protective antibodies and T cells.
After an infection or vaccination, your body builds a strong immune response and fights against possible future infections with the help of antibodies. However, when your body does not come in contact with the viral pathogen for a long period of time, the production of antibodies slows down, the cells and proteins gradually diminish causing your immunity to start to wane.
Additionally, according to Dr. Aravinda, the major reason behind diminishing immunity is the emergence of different COVID variants.
“Even if one develops immunity against one variant it does not mean that they have developed immunity against all of them. The body is continuously evolving and adapting to the environment. When one takes a vaccine, the body remembers the behavior pattern of that virus and is prepared to fight it – this is called immunologic memory. Over time this will gradually decline,” he says.
