I’ve often been asked about whether/when one should take the second dose of the vaccine when one gets infected after the first dose. Here is my understanding of the literature 1/n

A second dose is advisable even after infection because the immune boost provided by natural infection is variable, while that provided with vaccination is robust. Also, the proof of 2-dose vaccination might become an important document to have. 2/n

Some individuals have an asymptomatic infection when they get vaccinated and some will choose to receive the vaccine despite being mildly symptomatic.There do not appear to be any safety concerns yet, and “taking the second dose too soon after infection” may not be problematic3/n

If you have received convalescent plasma during your illness (which you probably shouldn’t have received), you should wait for 3 months before you take the second dose 4/n

If you still have symptoms, you should wait, so that vaccine-associated potential adverse events do not aggravate your symptoms and confuse your treating physician 5/n

If you are supposed to be in isolation (10-14 days from the date of onset of symptoms), you should not step out to receive your second dose and potentially infect others at the vaccination center 6/n

Most experts recommend 2-12 weeks after recovery. I think the strongest influencing factor should be how well you feel after the illness. If you feel almost back to normal, it’s time to take the second shot! If you don’t, I wouldn’t wait longer than 12 weeks.n/n