People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated. This guidance also applies to people who get COVID-19 before getting their second dose of vaccine.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after you recover from COVID-19 infection provides added protection to your immune system. People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get vaccinated after their recovery.

You can get the second dose if your isolation is over and:

• It has been 3 weeks (21 days) since your first dose of Comirnaty (Pfizer); OR
• It has been 4 weeks (28 days) since your first dose of Spikevax (Moderna)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an 8-week interval between the first and second mRNA doses (Pfizer or Moderna) may be optimal for some people age 12 and older, especially for males ages 12 to 39. Learn more here or talk with your healthcare provider.  

For more information on the difference between isolation and quarantine, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/index.html.