If you’ve already had covid, does the vaccine cause more side effects (since your body already has antibodies) than if you’ve never had the virus before, does it cause less side effects vs people who’ve never had it before, or does it not really make a difference. Or do we not know.
I’ve read newer estimates are that 100 million Americans have already had it, so I’m sure a lot of people who are getting the vaccine already had it.
I just happened across a little something that partly addresses your question.
From the WHO document Interim recommendations for use of the AZD1222
(ChAdOx1-S [recombinant]) vaccine against COVID19 developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca (Available as a PDF download here)
Persons who have previously had SARS-CoV-2 infection
Vaccination may be offered regardless of a person’s history of symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Viral or serological testing for prior infection is not recommended for the purpose of decision-making about vaccination. Available data from the pooled analyses indicate that AZD1222 is safe in people with evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. In participants who were seropositive at baseline, antibody levels were boosted after dose 1, with no further boosting after dose 2. The added protection of vaccinating previously infected individuals is yet to be established. Currently available data indicate that symptomatic reinfection within 6 months after an initial infection is rare. Thus, persons with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the preceding 6 months may delay vaccination until near the end of this period. When more data on duration of immunity after natural infection become available, the length of this time period may be revised.
I don’t know how technically minded you are when it comes to this sort of thing, so, paraphrasing:
So far as we know it’s safe to give the A-Z vaccine to people who’ve had COVID, so no need to test before vaccinating. Investigators did some immunology tests* which showed that having had COVID acted a bit like a first injection, because when we actually gave them a first injection we measured a boost to their immune response. When we then gave them a second injection, nothing much further happened.
j
(*) - it’s just a blood test in a lab, not an actual test of clinical efficacy. It is being taken as a measure of clinical efficacy - the WHO do this elsewhere in the doc.
It DOES appear to produce more side effects in those who’ve already had the disease; something to do with the stronger immune response. Much the same as the reputation for having worse side effects after the second shot - which a friend testifies is quite true (she was knocked on her ass for a few days).