HONOLULU, HI / ACCESSWIRE / February 16, 2020 / Excitement abounds at the release of the COVID-19 vaccine, but many people want to know how soon they can take it, says Dr. Sung Yang Waikiki, a private practice physician. What, if any, is the waiting period after COVID-19 to get vaccinated against the disease? What is the waiting period after recovering from the disease to get vaccinated against the disease? Would you still need to obtain the vaccination after being infected with COVID-19?
Dr. Yang Waikiki Explains the Need for COVID-19 Testing Before Vaccination
As soon as you know you do not have COVID-19, you can take the vaccine, explains Dr. Yang Waikiki. You do need to know whether you have the disease, so get tested. Since it can cause a similar but milder immune response to produce antibodies the vaccine can overstimulate the immune response that is already taking place due to the ongoing infection, which can result in worsening of symptoms. Also, the vaccine may lose its efficacy if the infection has already exhausted the immune system so that more antibodies cannot be produced. The exhaustion of the immune system is common especially in severe COVID-19 infection, which requires transfusion of convalescent plasma antibodies, i.e. antibodies from someone who has fully recovered after making many antibodies against COVID-19.
Dr. Yang Waikiki Explains Receiving the Vaccine While Ill
If you currently have a COVID-19 infection or you already recovered from it, you should wait at least 90 days before you can safely take the vaccine, said Dr. Yang Waikiki due to the reasons stated above.
Dr. Yang Waikiki Explains the Two Vaccination Options
You have two vaccines from which to choose, but both may not be available in your local area. The vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are currently being distributed and administered across the country. Both vaccines use breakthrough genetic engineering by delivering the genetic blueprint for the spike proteins that make up the outside wall of the COVID-19 virus, which is essential for attaching and entering the cells of the human respiratory tract. As a result, the cells replicate and release the numerous types of spike proteins into the bloodstream so the immune system can make many antibodies and immune cells that can recognize and neutralize the COVID-19 viruses with any type of spike protein that may enter the body in the future. The vaccines require two doses at three-week intervals to work at maximum efficacy of 95% or above, explains Dr. Yang Waikiki.
Dr. Yang Waikiki Explains the Vaccine Availability
Although not enough individuals have been vaccinated yet for the medical community to know the efficacy of the drugs, you can know that the drugs were tested extensively before their release by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), says Dr. Yang Waikiki. You will need to wait until your turn to receive the vaccine. During the first round, vaccines were given to all healthcare workers who work directly with COVID-19 patients in the emergency room, hospitals, and ICU units. Then, vaccines were given to all other healthcare workers who work in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Currently, people aged 75 and older are receiving the first doses. The next round of vaccines will most likely be given to people aged 65 to 74.
Dr. Yang Waikiki Explains Herd Immunity
Both Pfizer and Moderna have ramped up production to try to make enough doses to vaccinate everyone, said Dr. Yang Waikiki. That level of production takes time though, but by vaccinating those with the greatest risk of contraction, the medical community feels certain they can produce the same type of herd immunity that it achieved during the polio epidemic in the 1950s. As soon as herd immunity is achieved the curve of infection and death rates will dramatically be flattened so that everyone can return to the life and economy that existed before this pandemic.
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SOURCE: Dr. Sung Yang