VACCINE Q&A: Should I get vaccinated if I had COVID-19?

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The NBC15 Vaccine Team is answering your questions about getting the COVID-19 vaccine after having the COVID-19 virus. You can find a full list of NBC15 Vaccine Team Q&A’s HERE.

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QUESTION:

If somebody has tested positive in the past for covid how many vaccines do they need? A single shot or the series of two?

ANSWER: Both doses or the single J&J shot.

Dr. Jeff Pothof with UW Health said you should get both doses of Pzifer or Moderna, or the single Johnson & Johnson shot, even if you have had COVID-19 in the past. He explained that after you’ve recovered you may have natural antibodies, but the vaccine is going to give you much better protection.

“When we study natural immunity, so immunity that you get from actually getting a COVID-19 infection versus immunity that you get from a vaccine it appears that the vaccines outperform natural immunity, especially as it pertains to variants,” said Dr. Potohof.

Dr. Pothof also said that if you’ve already had COVID, you are more at risk of getting the virus again.

“Those people who have contracted natural COVID are a bit more at risk for re-infection with some of the variants out there. When you get vaccinated the risk of infection with those variants goes down quiet a bit,” said Dr. Pothof.

Dr. Pothof said if you get COVID-19 after your first shot of your two-dose series, you should recover fully before going and getting your second shot. Do not skip the second shot.

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