No need to wait to get vaccine after testing positive

Dear Dr. Roach: My wife and I tested positive for COVID19 on December 20, 2020. We qualify to receive a vaccine. But we have heard conflicting advice relating to the vaccination timing for people who have tested positive. What’s the answer? We have been symptom-free since the end of December 2020. — M.P.

Dear M.P.: People who have had COVID-19 have some degree of protection, but that protection is incomplete and may be short-lived. It is rare to get reinfected within three months of the first infection, so it is not urgents.

But you need not wait three months. You may get vaccinated after COVID-19 infection, as long as the symptoms have resolved. Since you do not have symptoms, you are free to get the vaccine as soon as it is convenient for you.

People who have been treated with monoclonal antibodies should not get vaccinated for 90 days after treatment.

Dear Dr. Roach: I have Raynaud’s disease, a left bundle branch block and severe glaucoma. I am age 75, and I struggle to keep weight on. I experience low blood pressure and lightheadedness at times. Is the COVID19 vaccine safe for me? My doctor’s reply to this question was I “should be OK.” — J.N.

Dear J.N.: Neither your doctor nor I can predict the future with certainty. Reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are rare (approximately 1 per 100,000 vaccines). I can say that none of your medical conditions puts you at increased risk for adverse effects from the vaccine. Given the safety of the vaccine so far, and the terrible toll COVID-19 has already taken, I believe the benefits outweigh the risks.