Maybe you have been gone through the fever, coughing and other symptoms of covid-19 and successfully for them off or maybe you tested positive for covid-19 but were asymptomatic regardless if you have already had corona virus you might think you don’t need to be vaccinated for it after all your body now has built-up antibodies against the virus so you are good, right?
Infectious disease expert kristian Englund MD said this notion could not be far from the truth.
‘Even though you have had covid-19 it’s still very important for you to get the vaccine’, doctor Englund says ‘we know that a small number of people can get covid-19 a second time’.
she says ‘even if you have not had covid-19 a second time it’s important you rev up your immune system in case you do see it again and the vaccine will help you do that’.
Aren’t antibodies enough to protect me?
If you have already had covid-19, are not the antibodies your body built up to fight the virus enough to protect you in the future?
‘We don’t know how long your immunity will last after you have had a natural covid-19 infection, says doctor Englund’.
She says ‘recent research focused on how long immunity lasts after having covid-19 is unclear and scientists believe it could be up to 8 months but she clarifies study to determine the information included only 200 patient, o there is not a whole lot of data yet and the best way to ensure you are protected is to get vaccinated’.
Doctor Englund notes that for those who have had covid-19 and have long haul symptoms (also called Long hauler syndrome) getting the vaccine seems to help them finally recover from those lasting symptoms.
If you have long covid-19 at this point in time please consider getting the vaccine doctor Englund urges. ‘It is not going to make you worse – and there is a small chance that it might actually make you feel better.
How long should you wait to be vaccinated if you have had covid-19?
The time frame that we recommend for being vaccinated after having a covid-19 infection is as soon as you are out of Quarantine, says doctor Englund.
There is one Caveat, however
If you have received monoclonal antibodies you must wait 90 days after recovering from covid-19 to receive the vaccine. According to the food and drug administration monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in a laboratory that meet your body’s immune response, doctor says. Some people might not need to be hospitalized for covid-19 but might receive these antibodies from their doctor as an infusion treatment to help fight the virus.
If you have had that monoclonal antibody it is going to keep you from being able to develop a nice, robust response to the vaccine, so that is why we have to wait for 90 days until that monoclonal antibody has gotten out of your system.
What are the chances of being Re- infected with covid-19 if you don’t get vaccinated?
If you have had covid-19 what is the likelihood that you could contract the virus a second time if you don’t get vaccinated against it?
We are not seeing very many secondary infections, says doctor Englund but she says it’s also relatively early on in the pandemic. Scientists are still learning about corona virus and if you have had the virus and are not vaccinated it’s unclear how long it will take before you can be re-infected with covid-19.
It’s much better to get yourself vaccinated, then you don’t have to worry moving forward until you learn more about whether we need booster shots or not, doctor Englund Clarifies.
Can you still pass the virus to others even if you have been vaccinated?
Researchers are currently studying whether someone who’s been vaccinated can carry the virus and pass it on to others.
It’s looking like the vaccine actually cuts down on the transmissibility of the virus, so if you have been vaccinated there is much less likelihood that you are going to get exposed to the virus and be able to pass it on to others.
She clarifies that some of the early data has not been Peer reviewed yet, although it has been published for researchers are still finalising this information but she says early researcher indicates that being vaccinated for covid-19 can make you 90% less likely to have an asymptomatic infection and transmit the virus to those around you.
“it looks like the vaccine tool is not only protecting you but it is protecting those around you. “
