You Should Know: Key Points from CDC’s Recommendations for Vaccinated Americans

As the vaccine rollout continues throughout the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released health recommendations for fully vaccinated people, including guidance for how and when a fully vaccinated individual can visit with other people.

These recommendations represent a first step toward returning to everyday activities in our communities. CDC will update these recommendations as more people are vaccinated, rates of COVID-19 change, and more scientific evidence becomes available. Read below to learn more about the CDC’s recommendations.

Key Takeaways

People are only considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna), or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson). If two weeks have not passed since your last vaccine dose, you are NOT considered fully vaccinated and must keep taking all health precautions until you are fully vaccinated.

Currently authorized vaccines in the United States are highly effective at protecting vaccinated people against severe COVID-19. Based on what health experts know about the vaccines, the evidence suggests fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and to transmit the virus to others.

However, there still many unknowns: how long vaccine protection lasts and how much vaccines protect against emerging variants are still being examined. Until more information is obtained and more people get vaccinated, various prevention measures will continue to be necessary for all people, regardless of vaccination status.

What You Can Do

People who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some of the things they used to do before the pandemic, including:

• Visit with other fully vaccinated people (of any age) indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.

• Visit indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing with one household of unvaccinated people who are at low risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

• Travel domestically without a pre- or post-travel test, and without quarantining after travel.

• Travel internationally without a pre-travel test, depending on destination. And travel internationally without quarantining after travel.

• Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic.

Precautions You Should Still Take

Health experts are still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. If a fully vaccinated individual is exposed, they still may be able to spread the virus to others, which can put those people at risk for developing the disease – especially those who are unvaccinated. After you have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should continue taking precautions, including:

• Should not visit indoors, without a mask, with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

• Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households.

• Avoid attending medium or large gatherings.

• Continue to take precautions in public, like wearing a mask, physical distancing, and avoiding poorly ventilated spaces.

• Continue to take steps to protect yourself when traveling, including wearing a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation.

• Watch out for symptoms of COVID-19. If you have symptoms, you should get tested and stay home and away from others.

• Follow guidance issued by your workplace.

• Follow CDC and health department recommendations.

‍The Long Run

While the new guidance is a positive step toward sending the pandemic and getting back to “normal,” most people still need to be fully vaccinated before COVID-19 precautions can be completely lifted. Until then, it is vital that everyone continues to follow these health recommendations to protect the people who remain unvaccinated.

Learn More About COVID-19

At BASS Primary Care, we know that keeping your family safe in this pandemic is important. Give us a call today at (925) 962-9120 for more information about the vaccine and when you can receive it.