“The general recommendation is to get the vaccine, even if you were previously infected,” said Dr. David Thomas, a professor of medicine and director of the infectious diseases division at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “There are some nuanced questions that we don’t have the answer to yet, but from what we know now, it’s the right call to get the vaccine.”

Covid-19 reinfections are thought to be rare, but if natural antibody levels wane over time, it may be possible for a person to become infected more than once. Doctors and infectious disease experts agree that most people should get vaccinated, even if they may have natural protective immunity. In most survivors, a vaccine might even enhance immunity from the initial infections.

It’s a precaution with some precedent. Healthy adults over age 50 are still advised to get the shingles vaccine even if they have had chickenpox or shingles before.