Medical professionals say they are continuing to learn more about COVID-19 antibodies and whether people who’ve had the virus have enough antibodies to be protected.It’s a question KCRG asked Dr. Pat Winokur, professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics."You do make antibodies after natural infection but they too decline over time,” Winokur said.Winokur recommended people who have had the virus get vaccinated after they’ve recovered. "The recommendation is wait about two weeks, let yourself recover from the infection and then you can get the vaccine. For those of you who had an infection months ago? Go get the vaccine now,” Winokur said.Winokur said getting the vaccine after a natural infection can boost a person’s antibodies by three to five times.Because antibodies lessen over time, booster shots are now recommended for certain groups who are fully vaccinated as identified by the CDC. As a heart transplant recipient, Marci Willey, of Cedar Falls, got hers right away."After the first set of vaccines they said that it was not really-- it wasn’t time for us people that are immunocompromised or are on medications that can suppress your immune system, it was not time for us to let our guards down at all yet,” Willey said. Now, even with a booster shot, she’s being cautious, knowing she’s immunocompromised."We’re still, you know, same way wearing masks and being careful, because I think getting the booster is better than being in the hospital,” Willey said.Winokur told us about six months after initial vaccines, antibodies have fallen to less than half, maybe even a third of what they were.“We’re all happy to see the recommendation that it’s time to start boosting people. I for one will be in line to get boosted,” Winokur said.