Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have had the virus?
Yes. Regardless of the previous infection, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention people should plan to get vaccinated when it’s their turn.
“It’s a pretty simple question,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Johns Hopkins infectious disease specialist. “Yes, you have to get vaccinated.”
After someone recovers, their immune system should prevent them from getting sick again immediately.
“Your immune system is able to identify the virus and protect itself,” said Dr. Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease expert at George Mason University.
Scientists still don’t know exactly how long this immunity lasts or how strong it is, although there is recent research suggests that protection may last for several months.
Prathit Kulkarni, an infectious disease expert at Baylor College of Medicine, is unable to know how long she can stay immune. “There’s no way to calculate it.”
Vaccines, on the other hand, are designed to provide a more consistent and optimal immune response. And they should increase any pre-existing immunity a person may have against an infection, experts say.
“Because we are in this pandemic and we don’t have any, the safest method is to get vaccinated,” Kulkarni said. “You lose nothing and you will benefit.”
If you’ve been infected for the past three months, the CDC says it’s okay to delay vaccination if you want to drop other people before supply is limited.
“All things being equal, you would want the unprotected person to come first,” Adalja said.
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The AP answers your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Send them to: [email protected].
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