By Sharon Atieno
Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a face mask or keep social distance in most settings either outdoor or indoor, a new guideline by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
According to the public health agency, people who have acquired full immunization for COVID-19 in America, that is two weeks or more of receiving the two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or two weeks or more after receiving a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, will not require these additional protection measures unless required by local, national or territorial laws, rules and regulations.
Also, people with compromised immune systems, including those on medication have been advised to consult their health care providers first before applying these guidelines.
With regards to testing, the guidelines urge fully immunized people to refrain from testing before or after travel both locally and internationally unless required by the destination. Also, they are required to refrain from self-quarantine after travel.
In case of being exposed to COVID-19 and the fully immunized person becomes asymptomatic, the guidelines state that there is no need for quarantine and testing unless in some specific settings. It also discourages them from routine screening testing if possible.
Studies have shown that fully vaccinated people are unlikely to have asymptomatic infection or transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others but the duration of the vaccine protection and how much vaccines protect against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants are still under research
