SAN ANTONIO — COVID-19 vaccines have been available for children 5 years and up for several months now but there still is some confusion surrounding them. A big one surrounds getting the disease, and the timing for getting the vaccine or booster afterwards.
THE QUESTION
If you were infected by COVID, you need to wait until you are completely recovered to get the COVID vaccine.
THE SOURCES
- Dr. Linda Mendonca, the President of the National Association of School Nurses
- The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
Dr. Linda Mendonca, the President of the National Association of School Nurses told us, "They may want to delay it slightly, but absolutely, it's important to get, as you know, the full immunity you know of of having the vaccine as well. And we don't really have the research out yet as to how long the immunity is from having recovered from the virus."
On the CDC's frequently asked COVID-19 questions page it says..."People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated."
So the answer is yes....If you were infected by COVID you need to wait until you are completely recovered to get the vaccine.
And if you've had a known COVID-19 exposure the CDC says you should not seek vaccination until the quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing healthcare personnel and others during the vaccination visit.