Should I Get the Vaccine if I Already Had Covid-19?
Elemental published an extremely thorough guide to the Covid-19 vaccine, answering every possible question. The FAQ will be updated and added to frequently as the vaccine process continues. The Blog will be featuring a few questions throughout the month.
Should I get the vaccine if I already had Covid-19?
Some of the phase 3 trials excluded people with a history of Covid-19, but most, including Pfizer’s, included people with past Covid infections, and the Pfizer vaccine showed equal efficacy in people whether they had a past infection or not. The vaccine will most likely be recommended even to those who have had Covid before, said [Edward Belongia, MD, director of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Population Health at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, Wisconsin], since we still don’t know how long immunity lasts or how strong it is after a natural infection.
[Paul Offit, MD, director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia] agreed, noting that the vaccine rollout won’t distinguish between those who have and haven’t had Covid-19. And because most trials included people with previous infections, we have the safety data to say that getting the vaccine didn’t cause any problems for those who had Covid before. “All you’re going to do is get a boost in your immunity,” Offit said.
The CDC has already noted on their FAQ that people who have recovered from Covid may still be advised to get the vaccine, and ACIP will specify in its recommendations whether people with a history of Covid should or shouldn’t get a vaccine.
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