Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine After a COVID-19 Infection
Cooler weather is upon us and as we begin spending more time indoors, it’s important to remember that more time inside also means a greater risk of contracting infections such as COVID-19.
If you are completely unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and have recently contracted COVID-19, you may be wondering if you still need to be vaccinated and if so, when you should do so.
The CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine even if you already had COVID-19 for a couple of reasons:
–”Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after having COVID-19 provides added protection against the virus that causes COVID-19”
-”People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get vaccinated after their recovery.”
So now that you know WHY you should still get vaccinated, you may be wondering how long you should wait after recovering from COVID-19.
-If you have tested positive for COVID-19 and are in isolation, you should wait to get vaccinated until any symptoms are gone (if you had symptoms) and your isolation guidelines have been met.
– Guidance can vary depending on a number of factors so we recommend talking to your healthcare provider about their recommendations for isolation or using the CDC’s Isolation and Exposure Calculator
-Delaying Your Vaccination After Having COVID-19
-Because it’s fairly uncommon to get COVID-19 again soon after you’ve just had it, the CDC suggests that you may want to delay your next vaccine dose (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started (or when you first received a positive test if you didn’t have symptoms)*
-Getting Your Vaccine Sooner Than 3 Months After Having COVID-19
– You may consider getting a vaccine sooner than 3 months after infection if you have a high personal risk of health complications, there are high levels of COVID-19 infection in your community, or there are new variants that are of concern*
*Because this is a new virus that is rapidly changing and can spread quickly, we suggest talking with your healthcare or vaccine provider for their recommendations on when you should be vaccinated.
Help prevent future COVID-19 infections in yourself and your loved ones by making a plan to get up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccinations!
For more information visit: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
Wondering where to get vaccinated?
Visit Vaxfinder.mass.gov or Vaccines.gov to find a location near you!
Text your zip code to 438829Call 1-800-232-0233
