| In this week's edition of the Covid Q&A, we look at whether people who have had Covid-19 should get vaccinated. In hopes of making this very confusing time just a little less so, each week Bloomberg Prognosis is picking one question sent in by readers and putting it to an expert in the field. This week's question comes to us from Robb in East Point, Georgia. Robb, 65, tested positive for Covid-19 after briefly experiencing symptoms of the virus on Thanksgiving Day. Robb asks: Am I immune from Covid-19 now and if so, for how long? Should I go ahead and get the vaccine as soon as it's available? We've heard from a lot of people over the past few weeks wondering whether they should still get vaccinated if they're among the 27 million Americans who have already had Covid.
The short answer is yes. Public-health officials and medical experts say get vaccinated. Having Covid — much like getting vaccinated against the disease — should trigger the body's immune system to kick into gear so that the next time it encounters the virus it can fend it off. But that doesn't always happen. Yes, it's confusing.
"A very high percentage of people are protected from reinfection for at least three months post-infection, and many people retain protection for even longer," says Michal Caspi Tal, an immunologist at Stanford University. "However, we are seeing some concerning data that indicates there is a risk of getting infected again with one of the emerging variants of concern."  A drive-thru vaccine clinic in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photographer: Jonne Roriz/Bloomberg Like all things Covid, this is an area where there are still some blanks to fill in. Even without more contagious variants of the virus factored into the equation, experts don't know exactly how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering. And immunity can vary from person to person.
The immune responses triggered by vaccination, says Tal, are even more protective than having recovered from a previous infection. And recent data suggest vaccination also seems to protect against more contagious variants of the virus. So, even if you've had Covid, vaccination can likely offer additional protection.
And, says Tal, people who have had Covid show robust immune responses after just one dose instead of two. That's good news. (Those people, she said, also may experience the stronger side effects more associated with the second shot of the vaccine after one dose. "Hopefully new regulations will re-examine if it is really necessary to give those who were previously infected two doses," says Tal.)
But more study is needed. For example, we don't yet understand how vaccination might affect long-haulers who are still experiencing symptoms of the virus months after diagnosis. And more study will also be needed to know how long immunity lasts after vaccination.
Thanks to all of you for writing in this week! Next Sunday, we'll be answering the best question we receive again. So if you have any, we want to hear from you. Write to us at CovidQs@bloomberg.net — Kristen V. Brown | 
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