Many who are recovering from COVID-19 would like to get vaccinated, but aren't sure when is the right time.

For more than a year now, scientists and doctors at DHR Health Institute for Research and Development are researching antibodies to answer that question.

According to Lisa Trevino, the vice president at DHR Health Research and Development, antibodies help protect against COVID-19.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s initial guidelines recommend receiving a COVID-19 vaccine 90 days after an infection, some are trimming down that wait time. 

"The question as to when you get it-- you want to make sure that your symptoms have resolved to the best that you feel that you don't have a symptom driven by the disease," Trevino said. “Talk to your primary care physician and see if they feel it's about that time. If you have a negative PCR ,nasal swab test that's negative for COVID, you can proceed with getting the COVID-19 vaccine. But the 90 days was what the CDC had initially set out."

As research continues, Trevino said more updates can trigger uncertainty. However, the scientific and medical industry is at a much better place to treat COVID-19 now compared to a year ago, she added.

"I think it's really understandable that there's a lot of confusion in the community right now as to when I get the vaccine? And the answer is: We encourage everyone to receive the vaccine," Trevino said. 

The DHR Institute for Research and Development is available to answer questions from the public at 956-362-2390.