People fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus can gather privately in small groups with no masks or physical distance, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which loosens safety guidelines for inoculated individuals under certain circumstances.
The CDC said Monday that fully vaccinated people should continue to take precautions in most circumstances to prevent the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19. People who have been fully immunized should continue to wear masks and keep their distance from others in public or while visiting unvaccinated people at higher risk of serious cases of Covid-19, the CDC said.
According to public health experts, vaccinated people can still be infected by the virus and pass it on to others at risk for serious illness. But early research suggests that, in addition to protecting against severe cases of Covid-19 that can lead to hospitalization or death, authorized vaccines are also likely to make people less vulnerable to infection and potentially less likely to spread the virus, the CDC said.
Understanding coronavirus
“There are a number of activities that fully vaccinated people can now resume in the privacy of their own homes,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “Everyone – even those who have been vaccinated – should continue with all risk mitigation strategies in public settings.”
The CDC has released its guidelines for vaccinated people as more than 90 million Covid-19 injections have been administered in the US, allowing people vaccinated during the pandemic to navigate life with that extra layer of protection against the virus. According to data from the CDC, more than 17% of the US population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and just over 9% of the population has received two injections.
A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-made dual vaccines Inc.
and BioNTech SE and by Moderna Inc.,
or two weeks after you receive the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC said people fully vaccinated against the virus can visit unvaccinated members of a single household without wearing masks or maintaining social distance, as long as those people are at a low risk of serious cases of Covid-19. Vaccinated individuals do not need to be quarantined or undergo a Covid-19 test after being exposed to the virus if they have no symptoms, the CDC said.
Vaccinated people are also less likely to become infected during activities such as eating inside restaurants or going to the gym, the CDC said, although people should still take safety precautions in those circumstances.
“We know people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they love with the people they love,” said Dr. Walensky.
For now, the CDC said, everyone should avoid gatherings larger than small groups of individuals, regardless of their vaccination status. The CDC has not updated its travel guidelines for vaccinated individuals, which include avoiding non-essential travel and wearing masks on planes, buses, trains, and other public transportation.
Alerts and web browser tools can help you book a Covid-19 vaccine appointment. WSJ’s Joanna Stern met Kris Slevens, an IT guy who has made more than 300 appointments for New Jersey seniors, to learn the best tricks for taking part in the Hunger Games that book vaccines. Photo illustration: Emil Lendof for The Wall Street Journal
STAY INFORMED
Receive a coronavirus briefing six days a week and a weekly health newsletter once the crisis is over: sign up here.
Write to Brianna Abbott at [email protected]
Copyright © 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8