Can I Get The Vaccine After A Mammogram? Dr. Mallika Marshall Answers Your COVID Questions
BOSTON (CBS) -- Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your coronavirus-related medical questions. If you have a question for Dr. Mallika, email her or message her on Facebook or Twitter.
Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.
"If I am three weeks post my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, is it safe for me to get together with my family for Easter dinner?" - Sally
Great timing, Sally. Because on Monday the CDC just issued new recommendations for people who are fully vaccinated, meaning they are at least two weeks past getting their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or two weeks past the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The agency says that people who are fully vaccinated can get together with other people who are fully vaccinated in small gatherings without having to wear masks. They also said vaccinated people can consider getting together in small groups with people from a single household who are unvaccinated as long as those family members are at low risk for severe COVID-19.
Sally also wants to know, "How long after someone has had the coronavirus will it take for them to test negative? And are they contagious until they do?"
It is believed that most people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 are no longer contagious after about 10 days from the onset of illness. People with more severe illnesses may still be contagious for up to 20 days. However, someone who has been infected can still test positive for up to 3 months or longer, even if they are no longer considered contagious.
"My 16-year-old grandson had COVID back in January. It is now March and he has not regained his sense of taste and smell. I am so afraid that this will be permanent. Is there anything at all we can do to help him with this?" - Kathy
Loss of taste and/or smell is a common symptom of COVID-19. Most people recover these senses within 28 days but for a small minority, it can last for months or even longer. Some doctors are using "smell training" in which patients are asked to sniff odors to relearn them. Scientists are also developing an olfactory implant that can detect odors and send signals to the brain.
"Can you please tell me how long after I get a mammogram can I have my COVID vaccination? I have an appointment today one week after my mammogram. Is this safe?" - Barbie
You can get a COVID vaccine any time after having a mammogram. The concern is that some women who get the vaccine develop swollen lymph nodes in their armpit as a normal reaction to the vaccine. This lymph node swelling could show up on a mammogram and resemble breast cancer even though it's not due to cancer at all. So some women may want to get their mammograms before getting vaccinated or consider waiting 4-6 weeks after being vaccinated to get their breast exam.
