The US is getting closer to herd immunity almost two months after the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, with more than a million Americans getting vaccinated every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But with much of the population still waiting for vaccination and having questions about asymptomatic spread, immunized Americans are wondering, is it safe to leave home and live a pre-pandemic lifestyle?
Not yet, experts say.
Getting the vaccine isn’t a “free pass” to “put all public health measures aside,” officials have reiterated since the start of the pandemic, said Dr. Anthony Fauci at a CNN town hall in January.
“We don’t want people to think that other public health recommendations don’t apply just because they’ve been vaccinated,” said the country’s chief infectious disease expert.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Each vaccination brings the US closer to herd immunity and closer to relaxing restrictions and returning to normal, health experts say. Until then, social gatherings and travel without protective measures could jeopardize the speed of that happening.
What the data says about the COVID vaccine, social gatherings and travel
Data shows that small gatherings drive transmission, as people tend to relax security measures – such as masking and social distance – around close friends and family, said Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Even when a person is vaccinated, it takes up to two weeks to achieve maximum immunity and no injection provides total protection.
Recent data also shows that the COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against new coronavirus variants, particularly one that comes from South Africa. According to data from the CDC, the US reported 932 cases of the British variant and nine cases of the South African variant on Wednesday. The agency said the British variety, dubbed B.1.1.7, could become the dominant strain in March.
Colleges in the US have canceled spring break to discourage students from traveling after the festivities sparked a summer spate of coronavirus infections around the same time last year.
Travel is one of the fastest ways to spread the coronavirus, experts say, and unfortunately we still don’t know if the COVID-19 vaccine protects against transmission.
Although studies show that the vaccines are effective against symptomatic diseases, researchers are still learning their impact on asymptomatic infection. For this reason, health officials are warning against non-essential travel, even after vaccination.
“It is possible that you will become infected, have no symptoms and still have a virus in your nasopharynx,” Fauci said at town hall. It is possible that while carrying that virus, someone could pass it on to other travelers, family or friends.
“We are in a race between the vaccines and a race with the virus, and it’s a time when there are a lot of unknowns,” said El-Sadr.
How can I safely attend social gatherings after being vaccinated?
While some states have already begun to lift COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants, weddings, and even indoor entertainment, health experts say it’s too early to attend social gatherings without protection.
After a year of pandemic restrictions, Americans are eager to leave home, El-Sadr said. But she is urging Americans to keep masking and social distance.
“Whatever you did the day before you were vaccinated, you will continue to do the day after you were vaccinated,” El-Sadr said.
If people need to get together, they should minimize the risk by being outdoors, wearing a mask, and social distancing, said Dr. Sarita Shah, associate professor in the division of global health, epidemiology and infectious diseases at Emory University.
“We can come together in these small groups using these safety steps that we all know work,” she said.
Double masking: Protect yourself from COVID variants
‘She showed no fear’: Nun, believed to be the second oldest person in the world, survives COVID-19 at 116
While getting the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t mean a sudden return to pre-pandemic ways, it can lead to less anxiety and more individual freedoms.
Experts disagree on exactly how much freedom there is, but Dr. Vinay Prasad, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, argues that there is little risk of dining indoors with a vaccinated friend or completely hugging immunized grandparents.
Nothing in this world has a 0% risk, he adds, but you can drastically reduce the risk by getting vaccinated. After that, it is up to the individual to assess their own risk comfort.
“Nobody pursues a life without risk. In fact, that’s a mirage, ”Prasad said in an opinion piece on Medpage Today. “Instead, we all want reasonable security.”
How can I travel safely?
Spring travel may be possible if it is done safely and travelers are aware of where they are going and who they are seeing. People should avoid traveling to an area where infections are on the rise and visiting loved ones who are vulnerable to serious illness and who have not been vaccinated.
During his early days, President Joe Biden signed an executive order mandating masks on flights, trains and buses. The Transportation Security Administration announced last week that it will recommend fines of $ 250 to $ 1,500 for people who fail to abide by the new transportation mask order.
The CDC issued guidelines on Wednesday recommending wearing a surgical mask under a cloth mask or tying the surgical masks to prevent air from seeping through the sides.
Double masking: Protect yourself from COVID variants
Shah does not expect coronavirus cases to increase dramatically like after the holidays, as more Americans will be vaccinated and warmer weather will hopefully prompt people to host gatherings outside.
“On Memorial Day we get a different scenario,” she said. “The first and best is that it will be warmer and people will be outside. This significantly reduces the risk. “
When will everything go back to normal?
Biden administration is on track to deliver 100 million doses of vaccine in 100 days. But even after this goal is achieved, the U.S. is far from achieving herd immunity, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said.
“It will be a while before we feel like we have a sense of normalcy again,” she said at CNN town hall. “After we vaccinate 100 million Americans, we will have 200 million more to vaccinate.”
The U.S. vaccination timeline is constantly fluctuating as vaccine distribution strategies change and the federal government is working on more doses, experts say. As of now, Americans can expect some measure of normalcy in late summer or early fall.
But health experts stress that this timeline can change for better or for worse, and Americans are begging to be flexible and patient.
“At this stage we still have so many questions and we have such low coverage with these vaccines,” said El-Sadr. “I urge everyone to remain as careful as they have been for their own protection and for the protection of their loved ones.”
Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
USA TODAY’s health and patient safety coverage is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID Vaccine: Can I See Friends and Family After Getting Vaccinated?