The CDC issued the first guidance for people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on its website Monday. Based on the science, the CDC says fully vaccinated people can start to safely begin some types of social interaction.
People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two or more weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two or more weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like the Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. The CDC reminds people that until a person is fully vaccinated, they still need to continue to take steps to prevent disease spread, including wearing a mask when in public, practice social distancing of at least 6 feet, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
Based on current science, fully vaccinated people can:
- Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
- Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
- Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic
Fully vaccinated people should continue to:
- Take precautions in public like wearing a well-fitted mask and physical distancing
- Wear masks, practice physical distancing, and adhere to other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease
- Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households
- Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings
- Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
- Follow guidance issued by individual employers
- Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations
#COVID19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic. To learn more, visit: https://t.co/FJMon7WlFO. pic.twitter.com/AjnGbe62us
— CDC (@CDCgov) March 8, 2021
CDC guidance for fully vaccinated people as of March 8, 2021
