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What happens if you get COVID between vaccine doses?

Virus Outbreak Pfizer Vaccine Effectiveness
Posted at 6:03 AM, Mar 19, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-19 17:36:44-04

PHOENIX — Every minute that goes by in Arizona, another 30 COVID-19 vaccine doses are administered. The state is now averaging 47,000 injections a day.

While the trends are moving in the right direction, some local labs are noticing an uptick in the number of people contracting COVID before completing their second Pfizer or Moderna injection.

Patients can be left wondering whether they should complete the series.

“If you do contract COVID between the first and second shots, the first thing I’ll say is, absolutely get the second shot,” says Dr. Piyush Gupta.

He says patients do need to wait for their 10- to 14-day quarantine to end, but do not need to test negative prior to getting their second dose.

Dr. Gupta adds, “You will not have increased side effects if you had an infection and get the vaccination,” because your body is already creating antibodies to fight the infection. The vaccine will not cause an exaggerated response, he says.

Other health experts also emphasize the importance of finishing the vaccine series, noting the danger of variants and the lack of clarity regarding how long natural immunity lasts.