A question about the vaccine.

[MardyBicardi]

Hi
I am being offered the vaccine in the near future.
I also think I’ve had COVID but haven’t had a test as they weren’t available readily at the point that I had symptoms.This was last March.
I feel a bit guilty having the vaccine when I could potentially have natural antibodies. I am not going to refuse the vaccine, in fact I can’t wait to have it. I just can’t shake this niggling feeling that it would be better to go to someone else.
Does anyone have links to information as to why people who have had COVID still get vaccinated please. Just to set my mind at ease a bit.
I am not overly worried but would like to read a bit of the science bits to help me focus on this being a positive thing.
Hope this makes sense.

1. Your antibodies, if you have them, won't last forever.
2. if you didn't get it, they would just vaccinate the next on the list who would have got in 10 seconds after you anyway
3. by having it, you may not pass it on where as if you don't you might, so by being vaccinated you will be protecting other people.
4. don't be daft - we all deserve the vaccine

Place marking...having the same guilt...a bit...

@PrinceRogersNelson

1. Your antibodies, if you have them, won't last forever.

1. if you didn't get it, they would just vaccinate the next on the list who would have got in 10 seconds after you anyway
2. by having it, you may not pass it on where as if you don't you might, so by being vaccinated you will be protecting other people.
3. don't be daft - we all deserve the vaccine

Thank you. This makes perfect sense and I do know this. I think I’m a bit worried about being judged by others too. People seem to be turning on each other now and I think it’s making me paranoid.

@Mapless

Place marking...having the same guilt...a bit...

Glad it’s not just me.

I think the latest thinking is natural antibodies last about 5 months, so it would definitely be a good idea to have it.

I had covid in March and had a negative antibody test in August. There’s no guarantee you have lasting protection from having had covid before. Accept the jab with zero guilt!

Everyone will get the vaccine. Have it.

If you took an antibodies test tomorrow, it would most likely be negative. I know of people who caught Covid twice in the last 10 months, so antibodies sometimes only last 5-6 months. Enjoy getting the vaccine OP, I'm jealous!

P.S if having covid prior was a thing in having the vaccine, you’d have an antibody test first. It isn’t so you don’t.

Thanks everyone, you speak a lot of sense and you’ve certainly helped with that niggling guilt and anxiety.
I do recognise how incredibly lucky I am to be getting it. It’s such a huge step in the right direction.

You don’t know you had Covid, so you might not have any antibodies without the vaccine.

1. Your antibodies, if you have them, won't last forever.

But your memory T-cells may store the information to manufacture those antibodies indefinitely. People who had SARS-COV-1 still have T-cell memory after 17 years. There's no reason to assume this will be different for SARS-COV-2.

Our bodies don't need to maintain antibody levels to everything we've ever been exposed to. That wouldn't be energy-efficient. Instead it keeps the instructions in memory T-cells, so antibodies can be made in the B-cells at any time.

I would have it absolutely. You don’t know if you did have it and even if you did they don’t know how long antibodies can last.

I know someone who was completely convinced she had it in March and was very poorly. A few months down the line she had a negative antibody test. either she never had it or antibodies don’t last long.

Also, don’t feel guilty 🌸

you only think you had covid. Lots of bugs are like covid for most people.