Commissioner Swope Discusses Natural Immunity as Possible Vaccine Alternative

Isabel Vander Stoep, The Chronicle, Centralia, Wash.
·2 min read

Nov. 10—At the Board of Health meeting Monday, monoclonal antibody treatments, a treatment option to help those with COVID-19 and who are at high risk of developing serious symptoms, was an item of discussion during a presentation on the topic given by Lewis County Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick.

Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic antibodies made to mimic the body's natural response to exposure from illness or vaccination, in this case for COVID-19.

The treatment option is "effective at reducing hospitalization rates by around 70%," Melnick said.

Changing the focus to infection induced immunity, Commissioner Sean Swope, who remains unvaccinated, asked whether using "natural immunity" as an alternative to vaccination was being discussed in medical communication circles and with the Washington State Department of Health.

Citing antibody counts of two firefighters he knew who had COVID-19 over a year ago, Swope said he believed his research into the matter showed that having the disease does leave people with immunity.

A vaccine mandate, he said, penalizes people who have that natural immunity.

He claimed the NFL was accepting natural immunity as a valid exemption from receiving the vaccine.

"Why, if the NFL would recognize this, a powerful entity that, usually, people Sundays are consumed with watching football ... Why would we not adopt the same principles?" Swope asked during the meeting.

They will continue to advocate for as much data as possible, Lewis County Health Officer Dr. Steven Krager said, and immunity after having the disease continues to be studied closely. Yet, the health officers said they simply did not have enough data to give Swope the answer he was looking for, and they believed nobody else does yet either.

Antibodies are not the only determinant of immunity, but are definitely one important piece, the health officers said.

"We just don't have the data on COVID-19 yet," Melnick said. "It is something we need to be working on and looking at."