TOLEDO, Ohio — In the coming weeks, more and more of us will become eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. But, what's the point if we've already had the virus?
To VERIFY, we turned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and ProMedica coronavirus expert, Dr. Brian Kaminski.
The CDC lays out this argument: COVID-19 can bring about severe health risks, so getting vaccinated against it is in your best interest -- along with anyone else you come in contact with.
There's also another advantage.
"We would encourage everybody, after they've recovered from COVID, to get the vaccination once they're eligible for it," Kaminski said. "And we believe right now that the immunity should be more durable and more permanent than the disease process itself."
Kaminski said when you get vaccinated, your body is sent a code to build proteins that your immune system learns to fight. That's what happens when you get the virus, too. But it's a risk for several reasons.
"Right now, we believe that natural immunity perhaps wanes a little bit more quickly because those people who have only a mild version of COVID may not have a robust immune response," Kaminski said.
You should not get vaccinated while you actively have COVID. Kaminski said you should be recovered, meaning 10 days after you first exhibited symptoms, along with no fever and an improvement in your condition.
So we can VERIFY: yes, you should still get vaccinated even if you've already had COVID-19.