‘Wait until you’re recovered from COVID before getting second vaccine’ – Health Minister

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, is advising that if an individual is infected with the disease, COVID-19, after receiving their first dose of the vaccine, that person should wait until fully recovered before getting the second jab.

During his daily COVID-19 briefing on Thursday, the Health Minister explained that the second dose of the three vaccines the local authorities are using in the current vaccination rollout is given at various times.

The second dose of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine and the Russian Sputnik V vaccines are given about 28 days after the first jab is administered. Meanwhile, the second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, is given approximately three months after the first.

For persons infected with the coronavirus, and present with mild symptoms, the Health Minister said that they would usually recover within about 10 days. As such, if someone contracts the coronavirus after getting their first jab, but recover before they are due for their second jab, they would still be able to receive that second vaccine dose in the designated time.

If someone is infected after getting the first jab but does not recover in time for the second jab, the minister said, “We advise that people wait until they have recovered fully and then you come for your second dose. That’s the formulation that we are using.”

Previously, the Health Minister highlighted that the COVID-19 vaccine was not being administered to positive COVID-19 patients. Instead, the vaccine will be administered some six months after they recover, since the body would already have some natural immunity to the virus.

For clarity, however, this protocol is for individuals who have not yet received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals who receive their first jab but subsequently become infected, however, will receive their vaccines as soon as they are fully recovered.