CDC Announces New Guidelines For Fully Vaccinated Americans

SALT LAKE CITY — Americans who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 received some welcomed news after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out new guidelines for how and when they can gather.

For a couple of weeks, fully-vaccinated Americans have wondered what they can and can’t do now that they are protected against COVID-19. 

Monday’s announcement brought good news for a lot of grandparents eager to get close with families again.

“These new guidelines recognize the fact that there are individual benefits to being vaccinated,” said Dr. Brandon Webb, an infectious diseases physician at Intermountain Healthcare.

He said these guidelines are especially important when it comes to visiting loved ones.

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

According to CDC guidelines, fully-vaccinated people can now gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing.

“Because of the low likelihood that two vaccinated individuals would transmit the virus to each other,” said Webb.

Fully-vaccinated people can also get together without masks with people considered low-risk for COVID-19. That means vaccinated grandparents can get together with healthy children and grandchildren.

“People who are fully vaccinated, I think really can feel comfortable spending time together, indoors, without masks. Have a dinner party with your friends who you haven’t seen if you’re all vaccinated,” said Dr. Stephen Goldstein, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah School of Medicine who studies coronaviruses.

When vaccinated people are indoors and in public, the CDC still recommends they play it safe by masking up and social distancing.

“If you are flying to visit family, wear a mask on the plane, continue to do that,” said Goldstein. “If you’re going to the grocery store, continue to wear a mask when you’re doing that.”

For now, the CDC recommends fully-vaccinated people continue to wear masks and distance in public and when visiting unvaccinated people who are at high risk for catching COVID-19.

“The reason that’s important is that, although it’s unlikely to transmit the virus after being vaccinated, it’s not zero, and there are still certain circumstances where a vaccinated individual would want to be extra careful,” said Webb.

As with other aspects of COVID-19, the community will not be able to move quickly with this aspect of recovery. People will still need to be cautious about not spreading the virus.

“Getting to that point of being fully vaccinated is a process,” said Goldstein. “So, we all need to exercise a little bit of patience, but with a really optimistic outlook.”

The benefits of being vaccinated could have another impact on the community.

“It encourages individuals in the community to become vaccinated because there are advantages,” said Webb.