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What should I do if I get COVID between vaccine doses? Is it safe to go to physical therapy?

DETROIT – Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Dr. Frank McGeorge has been keeping viewers up-to-date and informed on all fronts. He’s been answering your questions about the vaccine, the vaccination process and more.

READ: More answers to questions about coronavirus


What if I got COVID-19 between my first and second vaccines? Should I still get the second dose?

Yes. Get your second dose when it’s due as long as you’re cleared to be out of isolation. It will help boost your protection and possibly make it last longer too.

Is it safe to get the COVID vaccine five days after surgery? Aren’t you still healing?

There isn’t any reason you couldn’t get the vaccine shortly after surgery. Practically though, I would not say all surgeries are equal.

For example, if you had a procedure where monitoring for a fever is important, if you developed a mild fever from the vaccine, that could confuse matters. The best thing is to ask your surgeon when they would be comfortable with you getting vaccinated.

Would it be safe to go to physical therapy in an enclosed facility soon after my second dose?

Medical facilities go to extreme measures to protect their patients from transmission risks. Even if you were not vaccinated, going to physical therapy should be safe. Now that you are vaccinated it is even safer.

I have heard that the vaccine is good for about six months. Should people who received their vaccine in February start setting up for another vaccine?

We don’t know how long the initial vaccinations will provide protection. At this point, any talk of the need for a booster is speculation. It may turn out the protection lasts much longer than six months. We need more time to know one way or the other.

If I get the Pfizer or Moderna or even the J&J vaccine, how long should I wait to take the band-aid off after my dose?

The band-aid is there to keep the injection site clean and keep any tiny bit of blood off your clothes. You can remove the band-aid as soon as there is no bleeding. For some people, that’s essentially right away.

READ: Michigan opens COVID vaccine eligibility to 16 and older: Best appointment options


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Questions about coronavirus? Ask Dr. McGeorge


About the Authors
Frank McGeorge, MD headshot

Dr. McGeorge can be seen on Local 4 News helping Metro Detroiters with health concerns when he isn't helping save lives in the emergency room at Henry Ford Hospital.

Kayla Clarke headshot

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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