Article from the Fairfax County Health Department
(Posted 2021 May)
Whether it is a hug from your grandchild, visiting with friends, or going to a matinee, we all look forward to returning to simple pleasures now that we are vaccinated. Here are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for fully vaccinated people to consider when re-entering society.
When are you considered fully vaccinated?
You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your second dose in a two-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. If it has been less than two weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are not fully protected.
What is it safe to do, now that I’ve been fully vaccinated?
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.
- Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel.
- Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States.
Do I still need to wear a mask, social distance, and avoid crowds?
Take precautions in public by wearing a fitted mask and maintaining 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 CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.
What if I am around someone who has COVID-19?
If you are fully vaccinated and you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms. However, if you live in a group setting and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still stay away from others for 14 days and get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms. Also, watch out
for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you’ve been around someone who is sick. If you have symptoms, get tested and stay home and away from others.
Learn more about the full CDC guidance.
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