Question: Could you tell me how long after a positive Covid test should a person wait to get the vaccine? A physician in my town stated that the CDC recommends waiting 90 days to maximize the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Answer: CDC’s clinical considerations for use of authorized vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, are online here.  Based on my read, your town’s physician is only partially correct.  Here’s my synthesis:

• Even if you’ve had COVID, you should still be offered the vaccine.
• If you are sick with COVID (symptomatic), you should wait to receive the vaccine until you have recovered.  
• If you are in self-quarantine due to COVID exposure, you should wait to seek vaccination until your quarantine period has ended. [note: this piece of the guidance does not apply if you are living in long-term care facility or other congregant setting]
• There is no recommended minimum interval between infection and vaccination… with one caveat.
• Caveat: If you received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma as part of your COVID treatment, “vaccination should be deferred for at least 90 days, as a precautionary measure until additional information becomes available, to avoid potential interference of the antibody therapy with vaccine-induced immune responses.”