Among the plethora of questions with regard to the COVID-19 vaccines is:
When should I take the second COVID-19 vaccine if I have tested positive after the first one?
The protocol is that the two doses of Covaxin have to be taken four weeks apart. In the case of Covishield, the doses have to be taken at an interval of 6-8 weeks.
But what if someone contracts COVID-19 in the interim?
According to Dr. Samiran Panda, Head of Epidemiology and Communicable diseases division, ICMR, the person should wait for a while and safely take the vaccine any time after two-four weeks, after all the symptoms of the COVID-19 have been resolved.
If someone who has had COVID-19 recently wants to take the vaccine, then ideally, that person should do so anytime between one to three months after symptom resolution, following infection with SARS -.CoV-2, he was quoted as saying by News18.
Both the vaccines are disease-modifying. They do not prevent anyone from getting an infection. They only protect and guard a person against any severe disease from COVID-19 in the future. However, if a person does get infected after taking both doses of either of the vaccines, there is no need for revaccination at the current time. The vaccine will remain effective and will manage the symptoms better, the doctors explained.
There is also a chance that a person with asymptomatic COVID infection takes the vaccine, but there is nothing to worry about. It does not cause any adverse effects, he added.
A vaccine dose is well-measured and well-calibrated to produce a certain amount of immune response in the body. But in the case of natural infection, we can never be sure if the antibodies produced are enough to give adequate protection. It has been seen that antibody titers in case of a natural infection may go down with time, usually within 6-9 months. Whereas in the case of vaccines, the immunity lasts longer, Dr Panda was quoted as saying.
“As we gather data in the following days, we will know more about the duration of immunity following vaccination –also called immune memory. As the disease and the vaccine developed against it –are both new—our understanding about them in the present time is limited. Infection can happen. It can be because of the old strain or any new mutant. But the vaccine will help prevent severe disease,” he added.
