Staying Healthy
Can I skip vaccination if I had COVID?
Ask the doctor
Q. I had COVID-19, was sick at home for several days and then recovered. My grandson says I can skip the COVID-19 vaccine since I'm now immune. Is that true?
A. I know you love your grandson, so I hope you won't be offended if I say that, at least in this case, his advice is wrong. The natural infection you had will offer you some protection if you are exposed to the virus again. That is true. But studies published in the journal Science in March and April of 2021 show that people like you, who've had COVID-19, develop much higher levels of antibodies and of "killer" T cells if they also get the vaccine. For example, the combination of natural infection and vaccination led to antibody levels that were 25 times higher than in a person who had only natural infection or only vaccination. Having much higher levels of antibodies and T cells against the virus will very likely protect against dangerous new variants of the virus, which unfortunately may emerge. If I were you, I would get the vaccine as soon as I could. It's effective and safe.
About the Author
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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