COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to you regardless of whether you’ve already had COVID-19 infection.
You should NOT be required to have an antibody test in order to get vaccinated. That being said, if you have access to such testing then it would be reasonable to check your antibody level, and if you are sufficiently protected (see below for explanation) then there is probably no reason to inoculate at that point in time. This is especially true given that vaccine availability is critically limited and probably will be for an entirely unclear period of time.
Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the novel Coronavirus is exceedingly rare in the 90-days after initial infection, and very likely for a much longer period of time. Therefore, people with a recent infection might consider having their antibody level checked after 3-months. If there are antibodies present then it might not be necessary to vaccinate, though this is decision between each person and their physician.
For the record, it is advisable to get a “quantitative” antibody panel that measures the amount of antibodies present, as opposed to a “qualitative” panel that only tells you if there are antibodies present or not (positive or negative). A high quantitative titer generally indicates sufficient protection. Although a lower titer would still cause a “positive” result on a “qualitative” panel, it may still benefit from a dose of the vaccine, much like a booster dose, which boosts the antibody level.
It is very important that anyone currently infected with COVID-19 should hold-off on getting vaccinated until after their illness has resolved and after they have met the criteria to discontinue isolation.
Click here for the CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions Page
Justin Groode MD | Patient Advocate Alliance LLC
