If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you might be wondering if you are eligible to receive the updated bivalent omicron COVID-19 boosters.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should get vaccinated even if you have already been infected with the virus.
However, the CDC does advise waiting at least three months from the time you were first infected with COVID-19 before you get a booster shot.
RELATED: These are the side effects to expect from omicron-targeted COVID booster shots
That means you should wait three months from the date you first started showing symptoms or for asymptomatic cases, the date you tested positive.
CDC officials say waiting three months gives you more benefit from the shot and reduces the chance of heart inflammation, a rare side effect that has appeared in teen boys and young men.
Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious-disease specialist at University of California at San Francisco, told The Washington Post that if you contracted the virus in the past few months, you are walking around with a “force field” for now.
“But all of that could change if there’s a new variant,” he said, “and people should keep an eye on the number of coronavirus cases in their community.”
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.