Getting vaccinated is an exciting step toward returning to the activities we knew and loved before the coronavirus pandemic, but a shot in the arm won’t magically solve all our problems. Below is a list of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations of what you can and can’t do and how to continue to stay safe once you’ve been vaccinated*.
Please note the CDC will update and expand these guidelines based on the level of community spread of COVID-19, the proportion of the population that is fully vaccinated and as the science behind the vaccines continues to evolve.
*This guidance applies to people who have been fully vaccinated. The CDC says someone is fully vaccinated once it has been at least two weeks since they have received the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or at least two weeks since they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson)
In non-healthcare settings, fully vaccinated people can:
- Visit with other fully vaccinated individuals 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.
For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:
- Take precautions in public such as wearing a well-fitted mask and physical distancing.
- Continue with the above and other safety measures when visiting unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is high-risk. This also applies when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households.
- Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings.
- Get tested if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
- Follow guidance issued by individual employers
- Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.
For more detailed guidance on these measures, visit cdc.gov.
Navigating the pandemic
