Scientists know COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 disease, especially severe illness and death. They are still learning about how well vaccines slow COVID spread and protect from new variants of the virus. This is why it’s important to continue to take COVID precautions.
Still, if you’ve been vaccinated, you are probably asking yourself, ‘is it safe to…?’ Here are some tips and suggestions from doctors and scientists who are tracking the virus and the vaccines.
When are you fully vaccinated?
- 2 weeks after your second dose for vaccines that require two shots (ie. Pfizer or Moderna).
- 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine (ie. Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen).
- If it has been less than 2 weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are NOT fully protected. It’s important to take all COVID prevention until you are full vaccinated.
What changes if you have been fully vaccinated?
- You can gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask. However, if even just one person is not vaccinated, everyone should wear a mask and you should try to move the gathering outside.
- If you have casual exposure to someone who tests positive for COVID, you do not need get tested unless you have COVID symptoms.
What doesn’t change even if you have been fully vaccinated?
- Wear a mask, stay 6 feet about from others, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated places when you are:
- in public;
- gathering with unvaccinated people from more than one other household; or
- visiting an unvaccinated person who is at increased risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19.
- Delay domestic/international travel. If you must travel, carefully follow CDC requirements/recommendations.
- Follow specific guidelines required by a business or building you visit.
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms you must be tested immediately and follow healthcare guidelines.
We’ve come so far. We’re all excited about doing more ‘normal’ things, but for just a bit longer, let’s continue being extra careful until everyone in our lives has the chance to get the vaccine. Let’s continue to do everything we can to protect each other.
