I tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 1, 2020, the same day President Donald J. Trump did — fun fact. Two weeks ago, I received my first dose of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine and in two weeks, I will get my second dose.
There is speculation as to whether or not people who have had COVID-19 should be vaccinated. According to the CDC, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had it.
“That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19,” CDC website said. “Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible — although rare — that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again.”
Additionally, even with having the vaccine, there is still a possibility one could get COVID-19 and or carry the virus.
The vaccine aims to reduce the severity of the disease and reduce deaths resulting from the disease. This is also an effort to keep hospitals from being overrun.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Pfizer vaccine was proven to decrease the “risk of moderate to severe COVID-19 disease by 95%. Reduced the risk of hospitalization by 100%.”
Whereas Moderna, “Decreased risk of moderate to severe COVID-19 disease by 94.1% efficacy. Reduced the risk of hospitalization by 89%” and Johnson & Johnson, “Decreased risk of moderate to severe COVID-19 disease by 72% in the U.S. and 64% in South Africa, where a highly contagious variant is causing the most cases. The vaccine also reduced risk of severe disease by 86% across all regions studied and reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 100%.”
Recent studies have also found that vaccines against COVID-19 are about 90 percent effective at blocking coronavirus infections, which reduces the chance of getting the disease again. The vaccine is also effective in reducing transmission of the disease.
Since the vaccine is not 100% effective at blocking infections, it is important for people vaccinated, or not, to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing.
For more information on what to do after you have been fully vaccinated visit, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html
