Fully Vaccinated People Can Safely Visit Others

WASHINGTON – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new set of guidelines for activities those who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus can resume. The guidance, according to the CDC, is a first step towards returning to everyday activities. 

In the new guidelines, the CDC says that fully vaccinated people can visit others who have been vaccinated in indoor settings without masks or having to practice social distancing. 

Fully vaccinated people can also visit those who have yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine so long as those who are unvaccinated are at low-risk for contracting the coronavirus and other severe diseases. 

“We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, in a public statement. 

Walensky continued, “There are some activities that fully vaccinated people can begin to resume now in their own homes. Everyone – even those who are vaccinated – should continue with all mitigation strategies when in public settings. 

“As the science evolves and more people get vaccinated, we will continue to provide more guidance to help fully vaccinated people safely resume more activities.” 

According to the CDC, a person is considered to be fully vaccinated once two weeks have passed after they have received the last required dose of their vaccine. 

For instance, for those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, individuals would be considered fully vaccinated after they received the second dose in the two-dose series for either of these vaccines. 

For individuals who opted to receive the Johnson and Johnson vaccine that was recently approved by the FDA, they would have to wait two weeks after receiving the single-dose vaccine. 

The CDC notes that while vaccinations in the United States have been steadily increasing in recent months, the agency estimates that, “just 9.2% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine that the FDA has authorized for emergency use.” 

In their announcement of the new guidelines, the CDC said that COVID-19 precautions will remain in place until a vast majority of Americans have been fully vaccinated. 

The CDC advises fully vaccinated people to still adhere to COVID-19 precautions in public settings and in private gatherings with unvaccinated people from multiple households. 

The CDC also cautions fully vaccinated people, in visiting an unvaccinated person who has serious health complications, this can put them at increased risk for contracting COVID-19. 

If fully vaccinated individuals do happen to come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, the CDC asks that fully vaccinated individuals refrain from quarantining and testing if they themselves do not exhibit symptoms of COVID-19. 

However, the agency says that fully vaccinated people should still monitor their health for 14 days after a COVID-19 exposure, and if symptoms arise, the agency recommends that they should get tested for coronavirus and socially isolated themselves out of precaution. 

The CDC also warns that people, regardless of their vaccination status, should consider avoiding medium or large sized in-person gatherings, as well as domestic and international travel.