pune proof ones had covid an rtpcr or antibody test report should be considered a good enough alternative to just a vaccination certificate as infection too grants protection a group of health experts told toi on tuesdayin fact insisting on only vaccination certificates at this stage in the pandemic is a needless burden on the system and can lead to harassment of citizens they saidthe opinions were part of a recent joint statement by the indian public health association ipha and indian association of preventive and social medicine iapsm both ipha and iapsm had formed a joint task force on covid in april 2020 to advise the government on containmentbut as covid enters its fourth year these experts said resources now be diverted to improve measures such as wastewater surveillance and genomic sequencingtheres now evidence to show natural infection provides longer protection than vaccines theres even data that suggests natural infection may provide lifelong immunity but theres no evidence to show vaccines alone provide better immunity than natural infection said dr sanjay rai iphas national president and professor at the centre for community medicine at aiims delhidr rai said the communitys current protection level is because of a combination of natural and vaccineinduced immunity called hybrid immunity if this hybrid immunity wall is helping us then equal importance should be given to test reports that confirm natural infection so those whove recovered from covid and have labconfirmed reports should be allowed entry everywhere just like those who only have vaccine certificates dr rai said he added that despite the fact covid vaccination is voluntary many states continue to ask for certificates