People who are completely vaccinated against the new coronavirus can meet privately in small groups without masks or physical distances, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, relaxing safety guidelines for people inoculated in some circumstances. .
The CDC said Monday that fully vaccinated people should continue to take precautions in most circumstances to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Fully immunized people should continue to wear masks and stay away from others in public or while visiting unvaccinated people with a higher risk of severe Covid-19 cases, according to the CDC.
Vaccinated people may continue to become infected with the virus and pass it on to other people at risk for serious illness, public health experts say. But early research suggests that in addition to protecting against serious cases of Covid-19 that could lead to hospitalization or death, licensed vaccines are likely to also make people less vulnerable to infection and potentially less so. prone to spreading the virus, the CDC said.
Understanding the coronavirus
“There are some activities that fully vaccinated people can begin to resume now in the privacy of their own homes,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. “Everyone, even those who are vaccinated, should continue with all mitigation strategies when they are in public settings.”
The CDC published its guidelines for vaccinated people, as more than 90 million shots of Covid-19 have been administered across the United States, allowing vaccinated people to navigate life during the pandemic with this additional layer of protection against the virus. More than 17% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data, and just over 9% of the population has received two shots.
A person is considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of two-shot vaccines manufactured by Pfizer. Inc.
and BioNTech SE, as well as for Modern Inc.,
or two weeks after getting the single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The CDC said people who are fully vaccinated against the virus can visit members of a single home without vaccines without wearing masks or maintaining social distancing as long as those people are at low risk for severe Covid-19 cases. Vaccinated people do not need to be quarantined or receive a Covid-19 test after being exposed to the virus if they do not show any symptoms, the CDC said.
Vaccinated people are also less likely to become infected during activities such as eating indoors in restaurants or going to the gym, the CDC said, although people should follow safety precautions in these circumstances.
“We know people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” Dr. Walensky.
For now, according to the CDC, everyone should avoid larger gatherings than small groups of individuals regardless of their vaccination status. The CDC did not update its travel guides for vaccinated people, which include avoiding non-essential travel and wearing masks on airplanes, buses, trains, and other public transportation.
Web browser alerts and tools can help you book an appointment with the Covid-19 vaccine. WSJ’s Joanna Stern met with Kris Slevens, an IT man who has booked more than 300 appointments for New Jersey seniors, to learn the best tricks for competing in the Hunger Games. Photographic illustration: Emil Lendof for the Wall Street Journal
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