Should You Get A COVID-19 Booster If You Already Had COVID-19?
COVID-19Common questionShould you get a COVID-19 booster if you already had COVID-19?Immunity from the vaccine is more reliable and may last longer than protection someone has after recovering from the virus, studies show. For those reasons, the CDC still recommends eligible people get a booster shot, even if they've had a breakthrough case of COVID-19.
Can you get reinfected with COVID-19?
Based on what we know from similar viruses, some reinfections are expected. We are still learning more about COVID-19.
Reinfection with COVID-19
Does immunity to COVID-19 decrease over time?
One of the main studies providing the evidence for CDC's recommendation was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine [1]. It found that vaccine-induced immunity, while still quite protective against infection and severe illness from COVID-19, can wane after several months.
Israeli Study Shows How COVID-19 Immunity Wanes over Time
How strong is immunity after a COVID-19 infection?
How Strong Is Immunity After a COVID-19 Infection? About 90% of people develop some number of protective antibodies after a COVID-19 infection, according to the CDC. But how high those levels climb appears to be all over the map.
Infected, Vaccinated, or Both: How Protected Am I From COVID?
Should I get the COVID-19 vaccine if I have recovered from COVID-19?
If I have already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine? Yes, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 because: Research has not yet shown how long you are protected from getting COVID-19 again after you recover from COVID-19. Vaccination helps protect you even if you’ve already had COVID-19.
Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination