People vaccinated against COVID-19 can skip quarantine if they’ve been exposed to someone infected with the deadly bug, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in their latest guideline.
“Fully vaccinated individuals who meet the criteria no longer need to be quarantined after exposure to someone with COVID-19,” the CDC said.
“Vaccinated individuals with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 do not need to be quarantined if they meet all of the following criteria,” the agency added.
The CDC noted that vaccinated people should continue to wear masks, stay at least two feet away from others, avoid crowds, and wash their hands often.
According to the updated guidelines, people who have received both shots of the Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna vaccine can only skip quarantine if at least two weeks have passed since the second shot, as it takes so long to build up full immunity .
But the CDC noted that people who received their last injection three months ago or more should still be quarantined if exposed, because it is not known how long the protection lasts.
They should also quarantine themselves if they show symptoms, the agency added.
“This recommendation to lift quarantine for people with vaccine-based immunity is in line with the quarantine recommendations for people with natural immunity, facilitating implementation,” the CDC said.
Meanwhile, vaccinated patients and residents of healthcare facilities should remain in quarantine after exposure to someone with a suspected or confirmed case of the disease, it said.
“Outpatients should be cared for using appropriate transmission-based precautions. This exception is due to the unknown effectiveness of the vaccine in this population, the higher risk of serious illness and death, and challenges related to social distance in healthcare settings, ”the CDC said.