Can You Get Delta Variant if You Already Had COVID-19?

• Those who previously had COVID-19 may wonder how strongly they are protected from the delta variant.
• Natural immunity does, in many cases, protect people from reinfection. And when they do occur, they tend to be mild.
• Due to the unknowns, some experts are advising people who have had COVID-19 to get one dose to boost their antibody levels.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this week that delta is now the most dominant variant in the United States, accounting for approximately 51 percent of all new cases.

Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines work well against the variants, including delta, especially when it comes to preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

But those who previously had COVID-19 may wonder how strongly they are protected from acquiring the delta variant.

Immunity after a previous infection does, in many cases, protect people from reinfection. And when it does occur, the illness tends to be mild.

But immunity varies significantly from person to person, so while many people mount a strong, durable immune response that protects them against delta after a previous infection, some may generate a weak immune response and remain at risk.

Due to the unknowns, some experts are advising people who have had COVID-19 to get at least one vaccine dose to boost their antibody levels.

Others, however, are recommending people who’ve had COVID-19 to get fully vaccinated, either with two doses of a messenger RNA (mRNA) shot or the one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.