New Health Ministry guidelines for vaccination after recovering from COVID infection says you must wait for 3 months. If you got the infection in between your first and second dose, the recommendation is again to wait for 3 months for a second dose. Importantly, you won't need to get a Rapid Antigen Test before you get your vaccine shot.

The Health Ministry has accepted the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) recommendations, saying they are based on, "evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging global scientific evidence & experience."

Let's break these recommendations down for you:

The recommendation is that individuals having lab test proven SARS-2 COVID-19 illness will have to defer vaccination by 3 months after recovery.

Earlier, National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), a government panel set up to come up with vaccine recommendations, had suggested a six month gap between vaccine and infection. Experts have differed on this recommendation, with some saying it will help expand vaccinations when supplies are low, and when the infection provides natural immunity, others says a two month gap is enough as chances of reinfections remain.

The guideline says if you were treated with anti-SARS-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, COVID-19 vaccination should be deferred by 3 months from the date of discharge from the hospital.

The recommendation is in lines with what the US CDC also says.

Individuals who have received at least the 1st dose and got COVID-19 infection before completion of the dosing schedule, should defer their 2nd dose by 3 months after clinical recovery from COVID-19 illness.

This would be true for both vaccines currently being given in India.

The guidelines says that people with any other serious general illness requiring hospitalization or ICU care should also wait for 4-8 weeks before getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

The guidelines say you can donate blood after 14 days of either receipt of COVID-19 vaccine or testing RT-PCR negative, if you were infected with COVID-19 disease.

The new recommendation will come as a huge relief for young mothers worried about their safety. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all lactating women.

On 13 May, the government advisory panel, The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation in India (NTAGI) has recommended that pregnant women in India be given the choice of taking any COVID vaccine, and that lactating women are eligible after delivery.

Experts have been insisting that vaccines be priorities for pregnant women, as their lives are more at risk. In the US, Europe and the UK, pregnant women can take either of the two mRNA vaccines. Real world data studies have shown that mRNA vaccines are safe for pregnant and lactating women.

The ministry release says regarding COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women, the matter is still under discussion and further deliberation by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).