Key TakeawaysThe CDC has issued its first set of guidelines on activities people can resume after completing their COVID-19 vaccinations.The guidelines OK small indoor gatherings among people who have been vaccinated without the need for masks or social distancing.It is also OK for unvaccinated people from one other household to be in attendance if they are not at risk for severe illness from COVID-19.The CDC continues to recommend avoiding non-essential travel.

Key Takeaways

The CDC has issued its first set of guidelines on activities people can resume after completing their COVID-19 vaccinations.The guidelines OK small indoor gatherings among people who have been vaccinated without the need for masks or social distancing.It is also OK for unvaccinated people from one other household to be in attendance if they are not at risk for severe illness from COVID-19.The CDC continues to recommend avoiding non-essential travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first set of guidelines for life after vaccination on March 8, 2021. The guidance details what’s safe and what’s not after you’ve been fully vaccinated—a major step in the right direction for returning to normalcy.

The biggest news: The CDC says it’s safe for fully vaccinated people to gather indoors without masks.

“As more Americans are vaccinated, a growing body of evidence now tells us that there are some activities that fully vaccinated people can resume at low risk to themselves,” said CDC director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, at aWhite House reporter’s briefing.

She was quick to address a question that’s top of mind for many families: “We would like to give the opportunity for vaccinated grandparents to visit their children and grandchildren who are healthy and who are local.”

When Are You Considered Fully Vaccinated?Two weeks after the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer, Moderna)Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson)

When Are You Considered Fully Vaccinated?

Two weeks after the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer, Moderna)Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson)

What Can Fully Vaccinated People Do?

If you’ve been fully vaccinated and are two weeks past the date of your second shot, the CDC says:

Some People Are Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine Early. Here’s How

What Precautions Should Fully Vaccinated People Continue to Take?

Walensky made clear in a statement that some precautions remain necessary. “Everyone—even those who are vaccinated—should continue with all mitigation strategies when in public settings,” she said. “As the science evolves and more people get vaccinated, we will continue to provide more guidance to help fully vaccinated people safely resume more activities.”

At the briefing, Walensky explainedwhythe CDC had not yet changed its guidelines on travel.

“Every time that there’s a surge in travel, we have a surge in cases in this country,” she said. “We know that many of our variants have emerged from international places, and we know that the travel corridor is a place where people are mixing a lot. We are really trying to restrain travel at this current period of time, and we’re hopeful that our next set of guidance will have more science around what vaccinated people can do, perhaps travel being among them.”

What This Means For YouIf you received your final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine over two weeks ago, the CDC says it’s safe for you to gather indoors in small groups without masks or social distancing.

What This Means For You

If you received your final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine over two weeks ago, the CDC says it’s safe for you to gather indoors in small groups without masks or social distancing.

The New Guidelines Do Not Completely Eliminate Your Risk of COVID-19

While health experts are applauding the cautiously-optimistic guidelines, they acknowledge we are not completely out of the woods yet.

Walensky noted more research is needed to learn about transmission risk after vaccination.

Why the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Should Reduce COVID-19 Transmission

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

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