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Can you get COVID twice? Can vaccinated person get booster dose if there are people infected at home?

Dr. Frank McGeorge answers COVID questions

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


If you had COVID-19 as a mild case, can you get COVID-19 again? Or, if you had a mild case of COVID-19 and got vaccinations, can you still get COVID-19?

The answer is yes to both questions. Based on available research, you are least likely to get COVID again after an infection when you also get vaccinated.

My kids are 7 and 9 and both had COVID in July. Do they need both shots, or can they just get one, like a booster?

It is possible that their infections gave them a good head start on strong immunity, unfortunately we don’t know how much immunity it provided -- so the recommendation is still for them to receive both shots.

If a parent has been vaccinated, but two of their children have now tested positive for COVID. Would it be OK if the vaccinated person gets the booster while COVID is still lingering in the house.

Medically speaking, it is safe. But depending on the parent’s exposure to the infected children, they should quarantine until they know for certain that they didn’t become infected too.

I see much information on promoting the vaccine for the unvaccinated, which is great, but I have seen zero information promoting the second shot for people who have already had the first shot.

That is a really great point. At this point, whether you received the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson vaccine -- you need two doses to maximize your protection and a booster when it’s appropriate.

It’s been six months after my first shot. Should I get the second shot, or did I wait too long?

It’s certainly not ideal, but you should get your second shot as soon as possible.

If you have vaccine pro and con issues within family, is it still possible to visit together? Vaccinated people will wear masks, but is it safe to still meet with unvaccinated members, who most likely will not mask? If we limit visit to an hour or half hour, would it help?

Factors to consider for a family visit are: How many people are vaccinated? How many are masked? How close is everyone physically? How much ventilation there is and the duration of the time together are also factors. There is so much spread in the community right now that there are very few zero-risk scenarios. But you can decrease the risks by taking all of the precautions you can. Having everyone get tested would also reduce the risk.

Read: Complete Michigan COVID coverage


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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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