After an infection with the corona virus, you should wait to get the corona vaccine. But how long should the interval be?
Vaccinations against the Corona virus are progressing at a rapid pace in Austria. Many people want to get a vaccination appointment as soon as possible, even though they have already been sick with Covid-19 once and have recovered. How long should you actually wait to get vaccinated?
“After recovering, you should wait six to eight months before getting vaccinated against the Corona virus,” says Dr. Eva Höltl, an occupational physician and one of five spokespersons for the “Austria Vaccinates” initiative.
A single vaccination is sufficient for those who have recovered, the physician explains. After all, the disease itself acts like a first vaccination.
“People who have been ill, who were subsequently vaccinated once, have an extremely robust and strong immune response against the coronavirus,” confirms Dr. Höltl.
He says it’s important to really keep the interval of six to eight months: “Because of the disease you’ve been through, there’s an immunity that will last. There is no need to worry,” says Dr. Höltl. “Once, however, everyone who has been sick should definitely brush up.”
Why is it necessary to wait to vaccinate after contracting Covid 19?
“Vaccination immediately after recovery is not necessary. The body is still busy building up antibodies,” she said.
Moreover, she said, the antibodies are only part of the immunity: “The cellular immune response, which is in the mouth or throat, is quite crucial. But so is the immunological memory – the body remembers contact with a virus.”
These processes take time to mature. That’s why you can wait to vaccinate, he said.
Health problems would not occur with immediate vaccination, however: “We also vaccinate people who don’t know they were sick. Nothing can happen, but it doesn’t do much good and we wouldn’t recommend it – especially while vaccine is still scarce.”
If you have more questions about the Corona vaccine, you can ask them on the Infoline at 0800 555 621 – daily from 0 to 24 hours.
- source: k.at/picture:pixabay.com
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