GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan. – Spectrum Health will allow employees to be exempt from their vaccination warrant if natural immunity can be demonstrated in COVID-19.
The medical organization tells FOX 17 that the decision came after a recommendation from its medical exemption committee.
To demonstrate natural immunity, an employee must have a PCR or COVID-19 positive antigen test from a certified laboratory according to the 1988 clinical laboratory improvement amendments, in addition to a positive anitbody test. Both results must be from the last 3 months.
Spectrum Health announced on July 28 that employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within eight weeks after the FDA approves a vaccine. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was approved on August 23, making October 18, 2021 the deadline for vaccination of Spectrum Health employees.
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The Spectrum Health Medical Exemption Committee cited new research in its recommendation to provide the waiver of natural immunity. In a statement to FOX 17, Spectrum Health noted that evidence from recent studies shows a previous case of COVID-19 helps prevent coronavirus uptake again and limits the risk of having severe symptoms if a person is reinfected.
The committee noted that it is unclear how long a previous infection provides significant protection.
READ: Full coverage of the FOX 17 coronavirus pandemic
The Medical Exemption Committee will continue to evaluate new information on natural immunity against COVID-19. New evidence may lead to changes or termination of the waiver policy.
Spectrum Health did not say how long the temporary waiver will last.
Read the full Spectrum Health statement below.
How previously communicated [newsroom.spectrumhealth.org], Spectrum Health requires team members to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Religious exemptions will be accepted in accordance with Michigan law. Medical exemption medical experts have determined medical exemptions by experts in clinics, vaccines, and infectious diseases, in accordance with FDA labeling and research available to date. As new research has emerged, the medical exemption committee has recommended allowing a temporary exemption for those who have had a positive PCR or an antigen test for COVID-19 from a CLIA-certified laboratory and a test. of positive qualitative antibodies over the past three months.
Although we still recommend vaccination for people with previous COVID-19 infection, according to this new research, there is growing evidence that natural infection provides protection against COVID-19 reinfection and severe symptoms over a period of time. Current studies are unclear how long it protects natural immunity from reinfection.
Vaccine trials and real-world data have shown that it is safe for previously infected people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine; side effects after vaccination were not major in this group.
If in the future the tests show a significant decrease in this protection, a more lasting demonstration of protection or a test of a validated quantitative antibody titer that confirms the immunity, the deferral requirements will be updated (canceled , expanded or modified).
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