As of April 22, 1, 653, 798 people in Indiana have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to in.gov.
As vaccination rates rise across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new set of guidelines about what is safe to do when a person is fully vaccinated. While some restrictions have been changed or lifted, there is still safety protocol that needs to be followed, medical experts said.
While the CDC said COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping the vaccinated person from getting sick, scientists are still learning how well they prevent spread of the virus and how long vaccines protect people. A small number of people, about 5,800, who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 have become infected afterward, the CDC told NPR. Because of this, vaccinated people should continue to take precautions, the CDC said.
What does it mean to be “fully vaccinated?”
According to the CDC, people are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine like the recently paused Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Until the two weeks are up, a person is not considered fully vaccinated.
Can I stop wearing a mask once I’m fully vaccinated?
The CDC said people who are fully vaccinated can visit homes and other private settings without a mask only if they are with other fully vaccinated people. Vaccinated people can also gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household without a mask or social distancing if those unvaccinated people aren’t at risk for severe illness, according to the CDC.
Masks should be worn when in public, when gathering with unvaccinated people from more than one other household and when visiting an unvaccinated person who is at increased risk of severe illness.
Despite Gov. Eric Holcomb ending Indiana’s statewide mask mandate on April 6, Monroe County residents are still required to wear masks through May 28.
Dr. Cynthia Brown, associate professor of clinical medicine at IU School of Medicine, said it’s important to consider who a person is around when determining whether to wear a mask.
“We know that there are some breakthrough cases despite being fully vaccinated, and if you’re going to be around other people who are also fully vaccinated, then it’s not necessary to wear a mask while indoors,” Brown said. “But if you’re around other people who are not fully vaccinated, but you’re vaccinated, you need to think about the risk to people that you’re around.”
Do I still have to practice social distancing?
Fully vaccinated people still shouldn’t attend medium or large gatherings, the CDC said, and they shouldn’t visit people at increased risk for severe illness inside without a mask. What counts as a medium or large gathering was not specified.
According to Monroe County’s health order, gatherings in Monroe County should be no more than 50 people. This includes commercial events or gatherings held at venues normally open to the public as well as private gatherings. Private events in Bloomington are limited to 15 people.
The CDC said vaccinated people should still practice social distancing in public.
Brown said a vaccinated person’s risk of catching COVID-19 is likely to be lower in a large gathering if masking and some degree of social distancing is exercised. Vaccinated people should recognize everyone in a gathering or in public may not be fully vaccinated, and precautions should be taken accordingly, she said.
Can I go to restaurants and bars?
While fully vaccinated people are less likely to contract COVID-19, Brown said emerging variants could mean increased cases and spread. Outdoor areas are the safest option, she said.
Dr. Dan Handel, IU Health South Central Region chief medical officer, said caution should be practiced in bars and restaurants because not everyone is guaranteed to be vaccinated.
“Do you know everyone in the restaurant or bar? Probably not,” he said. “So I think in those settings you need to socially distance, you need to wear your mask until you’re actually situated at a table.”
Handel said practicing safety precautions is harder in bars than restaurants because people are typically moving around more and lowering masks to take a drink. This is a higher-risk situation until herd immunity or mass vaccination is reached.
Getting as many people vaccinated as possible is the best way to return to regular social activities, he said.
“I don’t see the downside to getting the shot because you're so much safer with the shot than without,” Handel said. “If people want to get back to having a social life, this is how we do it.”
Can I travel?
Within the U.S., vaccinated people can travel without being tested before or after unless required by local or state territories, and without self-quarantine, the CDC said.
In addition, the CDC said vaccinated people can travel internationally without a pre-travel test, depending on the destination, and without quarantining afterward.
Vaccinated people don’t need to get tested for COVID-19 before leaving the U.S. unless their destination requires it, but they do need to show a negative test result or proof of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight back to the U.S. They should also still get tested 3 to 5 days after international travel. Self-quarantine after arriving in the U.S. is not needed.
Planes have filtration systems that circulate air frequently and most have universal masking policies, Handel said, so the risk of contracting COVID-19 on planes is extremely low at this point.
Handel said he thinks driving in a car in a controlled environment with vaccinated people is relatively safe. However, getting in a car with other passengers who may not be fully vaccinated is more dangerous.
What if I’m fully vaccinated but exposed to COVID-19?
The CDC said if a vaccinated person has been around someone else with COVID-19, they don’t need to quarantine or get tested unless they show symptoms. In group settings such as correctional facilities and group homes, they should still get tested and quarantine for two weeks, even if asymptomatic.
What does IU say?
Dr. Aaron Carroll, IU’s Director of Mitigation Testing, said gathering limits being lifted and other activities being allowed depends on how many people get vaccinated.
The number of people that need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity isn’t known for sure, but the Cleveland Clinic estimated in January it could be from 50 to 80%.
If the majority of people get vaccinated, he said there’s no reason IU couldn’t have normal class sizes in the fall or even have classes without masks.
“Every time somebody asks me ‘When can we have classes again? When can go to football games again?’ When you all get vaccinated,” he said. “The more and more people get vaccinated, the more and more we’re going to be able to do.
