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If I had COVID do I need to be vaccinated?

Health care workers answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.

Shaquita Bell, MD explains that even people who have had COVID still need to get vaccinated to be protected from future infection.

We would still strongly recommend it and there’s several reasons why. First of all, we’ve done a ton of research to show that it’s still effective. The vaccine can still boost your immunity. We’ve seen that some people who have had the coronavirus infection do not produce the same antibodies you would get from getting the vaccine. So, in looking at people who’ve had the infection what’s become clear is that not everyone who’s been infected with coronavirus will have their immune system develop the ability to prevent getting infected again.

And then the other really important reason to get the vaccine is that we have these variants. So, the variants you may be hearing about or like Delta variant is the virus changing just enough to become more contagious or to become more severe. And what we’re seeing is that the vaccines prevent those variants, that it prevents you from also catching the variants.

This information is shared for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at time of filming. Always consult a health care provider for any personal health decisions. Click here for vaccine FAQs from the CDC.

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