August 17, 2021

I had COVID. Do I still need the vaccine?

Yes – vaccination provides a strong boost in protection for people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19. Vaccinated people also have a much lesser risk of getting ill if they do contract the virus. Getting COVID-19 may offer some protection, known as natural immunity. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. However, experts don’t know for sure how long this protection lasts, and the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity.

No vaccine offers 100% protection against an illness, but the COVID-19 vaccine gives people a better chance to fight off symptoms and minimizes risk of hospitalization and death due to the virus. And those who have previously had the virus are more than twice as likely to become reinfected by the Delta variant if they are unvaccinated

Learn more about the safety and benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Submitted by: Dr. Thomas Math, Infectious Disease