COVID-19 Post-Vaccine Guidance from the CDC
The United States is slowly moving through the various stages of the vaccine rollout, and as more people get vaccinated, more begin to wonder what they need to do afterward. Can you go to restaurants? Can you visit unvaccinated family members? Are masks still needed after you are fully vaccinated? These have been just some of the questions asked by the public as the vaccine rollout continues.
On March 8, 2021, the CDC released much-anticipated post-vaccine guidance to the general public. Here is an overview of what experts suggest after you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Who Qualifies as “Fully Vaccinated”?
Currently, there are three vaccines available for emergency use: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna require two shots spaced several weeks apart, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires just a single shot to be fully effective. The CDC considers someone fully vaccinated once they are two weeks out from the final shot.
What Can I Do after I’m Fully Vaccinated?
The CDC has offered a few recommendations for what fully vaccinated individuals can do differently once they have received all the required doses of the coronavirus vaccine. First, maskless indoor gatherings with other vaccinated people are now considered safe, and indoor gatherings with unvaccinated individuals (provided they come from the same household and none of them are considered high risk) can take place without masks. If you are exposed to COVID-19, it is no longer considered necessary to quarantine or get tested unless you are experiencing some of the common COVID-19 symptoms.
Remaining Cautionary Measures
There are still some things that you should continue to be cautious about, even if you are fully vaccinated. For example, the CDC still recommends that you take certain precautions such as wearing a mask, keeping 6 feet of distance, and avoiding medium- or large-sized crowds, even after being fully vaccinated. Keep these measures in place while visiting with unvaccinated individuals from different households, while around an unvaccinated person who is at high risk, and when out in public places.
In general, the CDC also suggests that you delay international and domestic travel plans if possible, and if you must travel, be sure to follow CDC recommendations. If you do experience symptoms of COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, you should still get tested for COVID-19 and take care to self-quarantine and stay away from others.
This is just the first step towards a new normal, and the CDC notes that as we gain more knowledge about how COVID-19 immunity works, these recommendations may change.