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People who’ve already have COVID-19 may only need one vaccine shot for full effect, study shows

ORLANDO, Fla. — People who’ve already had COVID-19 may only have to get one vaccine shot, according to new study.

New studies out of NYU Medical and Seattle show just one jab in the arm may be all the 30 million Americans who’ve already tested positive for COVID-19 may need to prepare their antibodies for the virus.

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“The research suggested that these people, just one dose of the vaccine is enough to turbocharge their antibodies and destroy COVID-19,” said internal medicine specialist Dr. Aftab Khan.

Researchers said the vaccine amplifies the antibodies in their blood a thousandfold.

Khan said in cases when someone who’s already had COVID-19 was fully vaccinated, the second shot made no difference.

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The studies also found that COVID-19 survivors had more protection after just one dose of the vaccine than people who had never been infected but received both doses.

“It’s a huge deal. We can now save 30 million doses is if we can prove that the antibodies from the first shot in people with COVID-19 lasted for a very, very long time,” Khan said.

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Khan said another interesting part of the study showed that people who’ve already had the virus had more side effects from the vaccine than those who have not.

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.