COVID-19 Vaccines Is it safe to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to someone who has COVID-19 or been exposed to the virus? Data from clinical trials indicate that COVID-19 vaccines are safe in people who have had COVID-19. Vaccination of people with a known current infection should be deferred until the person has recovered from the acute illness (if the person had symptoms) and the following criteria have been met for them to discontinue isolation. Return-to-Work Guidance for Healthcare Personnel After COVID-19 Infection: Symptom-Based Strategy Return-to-Work Guidance for Healthcare Personnel After COVID-19 Infection: Test-Based Strategy People in the community or outpatient setting who have had a known COVID-19 exposure should not seek vaccination until their quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing healthcare personnel and other people to SARS-CoV-2 during the vaccination visit. Click here to view a flowchart about options to reduce quarantine for people exposed to COVID-19. If a patient was treated for COVID-19 symptoms with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, they should wait 90 days before getting the COVID-19 vaccine. During times when vaccines are limited, it is recommended to defer someone who has had COVID-19 until 90 days from when they recovered from their infection since they are likely to have natural immunity during this time period. Source: Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States Vaccines and Immunizations News & Knowledge All Curi recommendations are based on current CDC criteria at the time of publication. CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may, or may not, be adopted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. Providers should always check with their local health department to see if the CDC’s guidance on any given topic has been modified (particularly if more restrictive) from the CDC’s recommended guidelines. Follow this link https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/index.html for contact information to your state/local health department. If local recommendations vary from those of the CDC, and you are unsure what recommendations to follow, then it is safer to follow the more restrictive guidelines/recommendations.