The combination of getting vaccinated and following the guidelines to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.
It is advisable to get the COVID-19 vaccination because it will help keep you from getting COVID-19. In fact, according to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)1, the independent committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how best to control vaccine-preventable diseases in the US, even a previous COVID-19 infection should NOT rule out a person from getting the vaccine. In a report2 from the CDC meeting on December 12, the committee noted that data from clinical trials suggests that vaccination is “safe and likely efficacious” in people who have previously been infected with COVID-19, whether they displayed symptoms or not.
Based on the knowledge we have regarding vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, such as elderly and people with medical conditions. Experts continue to conduct more studies about the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on severity of illness from COVID-19, as well as its ability to keep people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection and it is much needed given that currently, all reports suggest COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. And if you get sick, you could spread the disease to friends, family, and others around you.
Getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, known as 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. COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you by creating an antibody (immune system) response without having to experience sickness.
Most importantly, if we are to defeat this virus and come out of this pandemic with flying colors, COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic. Wearing masks, good hand hygiene and social distancing help reduce your chances of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but as we are aware, these measures alone have not been enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.
Add – gap of 28 days between two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and its effectiveness will begin 14 days after the second dose. So, preventive measures need to be continued and strictly adhered to.
Source
1 https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/if-you-already-had-covid-do-you-need-vaccine
2 https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2020-12/slides-12-12/COVID-03-Mbaeyi.pdf
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