This is our 10th lesson on the Covid vaccines. Eight of these lessons are included in our free podcast and are available to all on our website. Check out all our lessons covering Spanish for COVID-19.

Do you need 2 doses of the vaccine?

How long does protection last? 

My Spanish teacher from the San Pedro Spanish School, Elizabet Cortéz, provides the answers in Spanish. OJO: She answers the first two questions with respect to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The primary purpose of these lessons is to practice useful Spanish vocabulary and phrases when discussing vaccination against Covid-19. When speaking with patients, you should always use information provided by current trusted medical sources. 

LEVEL - UPPER INTERMEDIATE

Quick Navigation
Do I need 2 doses? To get an injectionEs preciso que > subjuntivoExpressing time between dosesTo schedule an appointment Protection after first doseWhen am I protected? Puede (ser) que > subjuntivoMore data > More phrasesHow long does protection last? Reinfection Within a period of timeWe need more dataReferencesRelated LessonsQuiz












Do I need 2 doses? 

2:33

For this question, Eliza addresses the patient as tú, indicating that she has established a relationship with the patient and therefore, she feels comfortable using tú rather than usted.

Pregunta 1

¿Necesito ponerme dos dosis de la vacuna?

Sí. Para recibir la protección adecuada de la vacuna, es preciso que te apliques dos dosis de la vacuna con 3 a 4 semanas de diferencia entre las dosis. Por eso, antes de recibir la primera dosis deberíamos programar tu próxima cita para recibir la segunda dosis.

To get an injection

3:16

ponerse
¿Necesito ponerme dos dosis de la vacuna?

aplicarse
Es preciso que te apliques 2 dosis de la vacuna

recibir
Deberíamos programar tu próxima cita para recibir la segunda dosis.

la protección adecuada
adequate protection

preciso
necessary

Es preciso que > subjuntivo3:53

Es preciso que te apliques dos dosis de la vacuna con 3 a 4 semanas de diferencia entre las dosis.
You should received 2 doses of the vaccine 3 to 4 weeks apart. 

• We cover this use of the subjunctive in our free lesson: Quiz #2 – The Subjunctive in Noun Clauses  Spanish Grammar members, see: Subj05 Influence Emotion and Judgments

Expressing time between doses

4:09

con 3 a 4 semanas de diferencia (entre las dosis)
3 to 4 weeks apart

con 3 a 6 semanas de diferencia (entre las dosis)
3 to 6 weeks apart

To schedule an appointment 

5:13

programar/agendar tu próxima cita
to schedule your next appointment

Deberíamos programar tu próxima cita para recibir la segunda dosis.
We should schedule your next appointment to receive the second dose.

Protection after first dose

6:32

Para recibir mayor protección, debes aplicarte 2 dosis de la vacuna con 3 a 6 semanas de diferencia (entre las dosis).
To receive greater protection, you should get 2 doses of the vaccine 3 to 6 weeks apart.

• OJO: Since Eliza and I wrote and recorded these questions and answers further data (1) has come out showing that 15 days after the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, effectiveness may be around 90%! In an Israeli study (3) posted in the NEJM, effectiveness was lower (around 50%), but still pretty good!.  Therefore, instead of saying PROTECCIÓN ADECUADA, you could also use the phrase MAYOR PROTECCIÓN (greater protección). Also, the second shot likely extends the length of protección.

When am I protected? 

7:55

Eliza returns to referring to the patient as usted for the last two questions. 

Pregunta 2

¿Cuándo voy a estar protegida del Covid-19 después de vacunarme?

El organismo necesita tiempo para montar una defensa inmunológica así que puede que usted no esté protegida hasta una semana o dos después de aplicarse la segunda inyección.

el organismo / cuerpo
body

montar una defensa inmunológica
to mount an immune defense

El organismo necesita tiempo para montar una defensa inmunológica.
The body needs time to mount an immune defense.

protected
protegida/o

Puede (ser) que > subjuntivo

9:31

Así que puede que usted no esté protegida.
Thus, you may not be protected. 

• así que = so, thus
• Puede (ser) que > subjuntivo. We cover this use of the subjunctive in our free lesson: Quiz #2 – The Subjunctive in Noun Clauses Spanish Grammar members, see:  Subj06 Disbelief Denial – Uncertainty

Puede que usted no esté protegida hasta una semana o dos después de aplicarse la segunda inyección.
You may not be protected until a week or two after getting the second injection.

More data > More phrases10:29

Puede (ser) que usted esté protegida 2 semanas después de la primera dosis.
It may be that you are protected 2 weeks after the first dose.

La segunda dosis actúa como un refuerzo a su sistema inmunológico.
The second dose acts as a booster to your immune system.

• We practiced a similar phrase in the lesson: Vaccination After Covid Infection and More in Spanish

Es probable que la segunda dosis haga que la protección sea más fuerte y duradera.
It is likely that the second dose makes the protection stronger and longer lasting.

How long does protection last? 

11:57

Pregunta 3

¿Cuánto dura la protección de la vacuna?

La evidencia actual sugiere que volver a contagiarse de Covid-19 es poco probable durante los 90 días posteriores al primer contagio. Y en este momento no sabemos cuánto tiempo dura la protección de la vacuna. Necesitamos más datos.

la evidencia actual
current evidence

sugerir, sugiere, sugerimos
to suggest, she suggests, we suggest

Reinfection 

13:03

volver a contagiarse de Covid-19
reinfection with Covid-19

poco probable
unlikely

Within a period of time

13:51

durante los 90 días posteriores al primer contagio
within 90 days of the first infection

• WITHIN __ DAYS OF an event = DURANTE __ DÍAS POSTERIORES / SIGUIENTES A + un evento

el contagio / la infección
infection

Volver a contagiarse de Covid-19 es poco probable durante los 90 días posteriores al primer contagio.
Reinfection with Covid-19 is unlikely within 90 days of the first infection.

• More data has come out (2) since Eliza and I wrote and recorded these questions and answers, showing that immunity to Covid-19 following infection usually lasts much longer than 90 days.

We need more data

15:05

en este momento
at this time

durar
to last

Y en este momento, no sabemos cuánto tiempo dura la protección de la vacuna.
And at this time, we do not know how long the protection from the vaccine lasts.

los datos
data

Necesitamos más datos.
We need more data.

References

Remember to always look for the most current recommendations (las recomendaciones más actuales) in trusted medical sources (fuentes médicas de confianza). 

• La desinformación sobre las vacunas ataca a las comunidades hispanas y negras
• CDC: Vacunas contra el Covid-19
  • Preguntas y Respuestas
• (1) Immunity after First Dose of Covid Vaccine
• (2) Lasting Immunity after Recovery from Covid-19
• (3) mRNA Covid Vaccine in Nationwide Mass Vaccination Setting

The following is a great series of YouTube videos by drvellermd.com explaining the pathophysiology and trial results of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.  They have videos covering a lot more on Covid, including the other vaccines.

• Vacunas Covid 19 de Dr. Veller

Related Lessons

• Spanish for COVID-19 Page
• FL04 Flu Q and A – Flu Vaccine – Who, Why, and When (premium)
• FL05 Flu Q and A – Flu Vaccine – How It Works and Side Effects (premium)
• Quiz #2 – The Subjunctive in Noun Clauses
• Subj05 Influence Emotion and Judgments (premium) 
• Subj06 Disbelief Denial – Uncertainty (premium) 

Special thanks to Elizabeth Cortéz, my Spanish teacher at the San Pedro Spanish School in Guatemala who provided most of the Spanish for this lesson. And special thanks to my friend, Sonja Um-Siri, who asked the questions in this lesson. Sonja also reviews almost every lesson I publish. I could not do this without her.

The lessons offered at docmolly.com are a fun way to practice medical Spanish. They are not intended to teach medicine or provide medical advice. These lessons are intended to improve communication with Spanish-speaking patients, but they are not intended to substitute for a qualified medical interpreter.

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