Providence, RI - Based on analysis of state and international research data, as performed by Dr. Andrew Bostom, in support of a conclusion that has been publicly advanced by a growing host of nationally prominent immunologists, the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity (Center) calls on the Rhode Island Department of Health to include “natural immunity” as an allowed “contraindication to vaccination” on the official RI DOH medical exemption form.
In the Center's policy brief published today by Dr. Bostom, an adjunct medical scholar to the Center and a Brown University credentialed epidemiologist, when assessing the benefits and risks of natural immunity to Covid-19 as compared with immunity from the vaccine, Bostom joins an increasing number of medical professionals and institutions in concluding that the body’s natural immune system provides a more robust and longer lasting protection against Covid-19 than do the currently offered vaccines.
With thousands of vital health care professionals in Rhode Island facing termination or loss of their medical licenses if they do not comply with the non-science-based October 1 vaccine mandates imposed by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), the Center argues that more health care services can be safely delivered if more healthcare workers are allowed in the field.
Currently, the RI DOH allows only a very narrow range of conditions as viable contraindications for Covid-19 vaccinations.
“In far too many instances during this pandemic, when making significant mandate and regulatory decisions, state health officials have not followed the science, nor have they provided the specific controlled studies to back up their reckless actions,” exclaimed Bostom. “Throughout history, and once again in this instance, it is clear that natural immunity is a powerful weapon against viral infections. It would be a clear case of medical negligence for the DOH to downplay and ignore this medical reality and to continue to insist that previously infected healthcare workers must be vaccinated.”
Dr. Bostom studied ample data from an Israeli Health Maintenance Organization; from a United Kingdom Healthcare worker survey; and from data supplied by the RI DOH. Bostom summarized the key findings from the published Israeli research (full text and citations below), as follows:
- The risk of new clinical symptomatic infection is 7.0 times lower among those previously infected and who were not vaccinated, as compared to those with no prior infection, who were fully vaccinated
- The risk of Covid-19 hospitalization is 6.7 times lower among the same cohorts describe above
- 30% of new Covid-19 infections in RI were ‘breakthrough’ cases, occurring among fully vaccinated persons
- Of the 2127 RIers infected in July, only 3.4% had prior infection, regardless of vaccination status
- The same ratio (3.4%) of those infected in July, who had prior infection, were fully vaccinated
While the Center opposes government-imposed mask and vaccine mandates, the data clearly demonstrates that “natural immunity” is an important policy consideration; and that the existing RI DOH healthcare worker vaccine mandate, for as long as it is allowed to legally stand, must be immediately modified (as the science overwhelmingly suggests) to include "natural immunity" as an approved case for exemption.
The full policy brief, including more findings and a listing of experts supporting this conclusion, can be viewed on the Center's website, here.
Developing ... just obtained RIDOH August data for Rhode Island further supports these conclusions and indicates similar trends for hospitalization rates. These findings will be discussed in detail with Dr. Bostom on the popular In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse show, this Thursday at 5:00 PM on www.RIFreedom.org/LIVE .
