Why should I get vaccinated if I already had COVID-19? – KCRA Sacramento

This week KCRA 3 is taking part in a national “Get the Facts on the Vax” effort to get your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine answered by medical experts.Here are questions that Dr. Milin Ratanasen with Kaiser Permanente answered for our viewers on Friday.Why should I get the vaccine if I already had the real, actual virus? “Intuitively, you would think that your natural immunity from being infected is going to be effective. I think the tricky part is we don’t know how long that natural immunity lasts. With the pandemic, you may have been infected in the summer of last year even. What we do know is that the vaccinations are super effective in those who have been vaccinated and they have even shown that folks who were previously infected who got vaccinated they actually ended up having higher antibody responses than those who get vaccinated and were never infected. You can think of it almost as a booster effect to your own immunity. With variants on the rise, too, who knows how well natural immunity will hold up to that. But we are starting to see more real-world evidence that the vaccines in play right now are effective against the variants as well.”How can you tell if you’re at risk from getting blood clots from the J&J vaccine?”It’s an absolutely valid concern. What I had said earlier, the vaccines are all very effective and safe, I still stand by that and here’s why. The blood clots that were found, they were very rare from the J&J vaccine the last time I looked it up, it was about 20 cases that were found out of 9 million doses given so far and most of the cases were found in women ages 18 to 49. But there hasn’t been any other common risk factor. … These blood clots were a rare type of blood clot that could go to the brain. Symptoms to look for, they usually happened within two weeks and they were severe headache, poor vision, shortness of breath or chest pain … or even tiny bruising or blood spots under your skin. The symptoms are so unique. I would encourage you to talk to your doctor if you are worried about any kind of severe symptoms you’re having. If you look at the statistics, they are on your side. If you get a headache after a vaccine, it is very highly unlikely it’s due to a blood clot. You do want to make sure you talk to your doctor.”Does the vaccine have any bad side effects?”I think side effects certainly are possible. You may have heard, folks that get the vaccine, the most common side effects we see are a little redness, soreness, swelling in the arm of where you were injected. Some people feel tired, or a headache, or even chills. You may have heard that that second dose, if you’re getting Moderna or Pfizer, can be a little bit worse. The good news is that we know that these side effects last for maybe one to two days, if even you have them. And they go away, and they’re temporary. If you talk to docs, a lot of times we don’t even like to use the term side effects. Side effects implies something unexpected. And really what we like to call it is the expected immune response. What you’re experiencing is your own body’s immune response getting ready to build those antibodies, getting ready to battle. It’s expected.”Have a question about the COVID-19 vaccine? We’re taking your question straight to the experts to get answers. Click here to submit your question.More Get the Facts on the Vax CoverageWho should still be getting tested for COVID-19? Will I be charged for a COVID-19 vaccine?Do you have to get multiple doses of the vaccine for it to be effective? When will the J&J vaccine be available for children 12 and up? For how long will the vaccines be effective? 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This week KCRA 3 is taking part in a national “Get the Facts on the Vax” effort to get your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine answered by medical experts.

Here are questions that Dr. Milin Ratanasen with Kaiser Permanente answered for our viewers on Friday.

Why should I get the vaccine if I already had the real, actual virus?

“Intuitively, you would think that your natural immunity from being infected is going to be effective. I think the tricky part is we don’t know how long that natural immunity lasts. With the pandemic, you may have been infected in the summer of last year even. What we do know is that the vaccinations are super effective in those who have been vaccinated and they have even shown that folks who were previously infected who got vaccinated they actually ended up having higher antibody responses than those who get vaccinated and were never infected. You can think of it almost as a booster effect to your own immunity. With variants on the rise, too, who knows how well natural immunity will hold up to that. But we are starting to see more real-world evidence that the vaccines in play right now are effective against the variants as well.”

How can you tell if you’re at risk from getting blood clots from the J&J vaccine?

“It’s an absolutely valid concern. What I had said earlier, the vaccines are all very effective and safe, I still stand by that and here’s why. The blood clots that were found, they were very rare from the J&J vaccine the last time I looked it up, it was about 20 cases that were found out of 9 million doses given so far and most of the cases were found in women ages 18 to 49. But there hasn’t been any other common risk factor. … These blood clots were a rare type of blood clot that could go to the brain. Symptoms to look for, they usually happened within two weeks and they were severe headache, poor vision, shortness of breath or chest pain … or even tiny bruising or blood spots under your skin. The symptoms are so unique. I would encourage you to talk to your doctor if you are worried about any kind of severe symptoms you’re having. If you look at the statistics, they are on your side. If you get a headache after a vaccine, it is very highly unlikely it’s due to a blood clot. You do want to make sure you talk to your doctor.”

Does the vaccine have any bad side effects?

“I think side effects certainly are possible. You may have heard, folks that get the vaccine, the most common side effects we see are a little redness, soreness, swelling in the arm of where you were injected. Some people feel tired, or a headache, or even chills. You may have heard that that second dose, if you’re getting Moderna or Pfizer, can be a little bit worse. The good news is that we know that these side effects last for maybe one to two days, if even you have them. And they go away, and they’re temporary. If you talk to docs, a lot of times we don’t even like to use the term side effects. Side effects implies something unexpected. And really what we like to call it is the expected immune response. What you’re experiencing is your own body’s immune response getting ready to build those antibodies, getting ready to battle. It’s expected.”

Have a question about the COVID-19 vaccine? We’re taking your question straight to the experts to get answers. Click here to submit your question.

More Get the Facts on the Vax Coverage