As public health officials scramble to reach Canada’s remaining unvaccinated population, one potentially sizeable subgroup remains elusive: people who have decided against getting a shot because they’ve already contracted and recovered from COVID-19.

The advice from public health agencies is unequivocal: Eligible individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 should get immunized because the experts still don’t know what level of protection a previous infection provides, particularly against emerging variants of the virus.

“Those who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 should still be vaccinated,” according to the latest information on Ottawa Public Health’s website. “There is no information that suggests