Completely vaccinated means that two weeks have passed since she received her second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks since she received her single dose from Johnson & Johnson.
Life may soon begin to look normal, but just because you’re vaccinated doesn’t mean you can run, living a pre-pandemic style.
According to the CDC, here’s a quick guide to what you can (and still can’t do) after getting vaccinated:
Socialize
Can I see my friends and family once I am completely vaccinated?
Yes! Don’t organize a big party with everyone you know, but the CDC admits that socializing is much safer once there are vaccines. The guidelines differ depending on whether the people you want to see are also vaccinated.
- With vaccinated people, you can meet indoors without masks
- With unvaccinated people, you can meet indoors without masks only with members of a household, as long as none of your unvaccinated friends / family are at high risk. This means that you still want to avoid seeing unvaccinated seniors or those with underlying conditions that make a potential COVID-19 infection particularly serious, just to be safer.
What about big meetings?
The CDC continues to discourage medium and large meetings, even if you are completely vaccinated.
And the hugs?
This is where your personal comfort comes into play with risk, but the risk of COVID-19 transmission with two people fully vaccinated is close to zero, so hugs should be pretty safe there. When one person gets vaccinated and the other has a low risk, the hug also has a low risk with members of a single household.
Masking
Should I wear a mask if I am still vaccinated?
Vaccination does not exempt you from local and state ordinances on the use of masks or facial coatings in public. While the CDC claims that you can socialize with members of a home indoors and without masking, the agency continues to suggest wearing a mask when there are a lot of people, in public or placing orders.
You should continue to wear a mask or face covering, in addition to practicing distances of 6 feet when:
- Socialize with people from more than one household indoors
- Visits with people at high risk of COVID-19 and without vaccination
- In public
Travel
Can I travel now that I am completely vaccinated?
The CDC still suggests avoiding unnecessary domestic and international travel. Many countries continue to ban the entry of American citizens.
If you have to travel, you must follow current restrictions, such as wearing a mask at an airline or taking a PCR test before you arrive (depending on your destination).
Quarantine
Do I have to quarantine if I am exposed to COVID-19?
If you come in contact with someone who has COVID-19 and you are completely vaccinated, you no longer need to be quarantined if you have no symptoms.
If you start to have symptoms, you should quarantine yourself and get tested, the CDC says.
See the full CDC guidelines here.
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