Here is a question on many people’s minds as the coronavirus continues to spread and vaccines become more available: Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have the virus?
Health experts say yes. Regardless of the previous infection, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that people should plan vaccination when it is their turn.
“It is a very straightforward matter,” said Johns Hopkins infectious disease specialist Dr. Amesh Adalja. “Yes, you need to be vaccinated.”
After someone has recovered, their immune system must prevent them from getting sick again.
“Your immune system is able to identify the virus and protect itself,” said Dr. Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease specialist at George Mason University.
Scientists still do not know exactly how long this immunity lasts or how strong it is, although recent research suggests that protection may last for several months.
It is impossible to know how long a person can be immune, said Prathit Kulkarni, an infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine. “There is no way to calculate this.”
Vaccines, in contrast, are designed to produce a more consistent and optimal immune response. And they should increase any pre-existing immunity that a person may have against an infection, experts say.
“As we are in this pandemic and we have no control over it, the safest approach is to vaccinate,” said Kulkarni. “You don’t lose anything and you can benefit.”
If you’ve been infected in the past three months, the CDC says it’s okay to postpone vaccination if you want to let others go first while supplies are limited.
“All things being equal, you would like the unprotected person to be the first,” said Adalja.
In New Jersey, more than 214,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine were administered by Monday, according to Governor Phil Murphy. The state plans to provide daily updates on the vaccination process in a new tab on the coronavirus panel.
The figure of 214,000 includes 199,293 first doses and 14,984 second doses.
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