Fully vaccinated Americans can gather without masks: CDC

Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing according to longawaited guidance from federal health officials The recommendations also say that vaccinated people can come together in the same way in a single household with people considered at lowrisk for severe disease such as in the case of vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy children and grandchildren The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the guidance MondayThe guidance is designed to address a growing demand as more adults have been getting vaccinated and wondering if it gives them greater freedom to visit family members travel or do other things like they did before the COVID19 pandemic swept the world last year With more and more people vaccinated each day we are starting to turn a corner said CDC Director Dr Rochelle WalenskyDuring a press briefing Monday she called the guidance a first step toward restoring normalcy in how people come together She said more activities would be okd for vaccinated individuals once caseloads and deaths decline more Americans are vaccinated and as more science emerges on the ability of those who have been vaccinated to get and spread the virusThe CDC is continuing to recommend that fully vaccinated people still wear wellfitted masks avoid large gatherings and physically distance themselves from others when out in public The CDC also advised vaccinated people to get tested if they develop symptoms that could be related to COVID19 Officials say a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine About 31 million Americans or only about 937 of the US population have been fully vaccinated with a federally authorized COVID19 vaccine so far according to the CDCAuthorised vaccine doses first became available in December and they were products that required two doses spaced weeks apart But since January a small but growing number of Americans have been fully vaccinated and have been asking questions like Do I still have to wear a mask Can I go to a bar now Can I finally see my grandchildren The guidance was welcome news to a nation that is understandably tired of the pandemic and longs to safely resume normal activities said Dr Richard Besser president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a former acting director of the CDCI hope that this new guidance provides the momentum for everyone to get vaccinated when they can and gives states the patience to follow the public health roadmap needed to reopen their economies and communities safely said Besser in a statement But Dr Leana Wen called the guidance far too cautious The CDC did not change its recommendations on travel which discourages unnecessary travel and calls for getting tested within a few days of the trip That could seem confusing to vaccinated people hoping to visit family across the country or abroadThe new guidance also says nothing about going to restaurants or other places even though governors are lifting restrictions on businesses said Wen an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University who was formerly Baltimores health commissionerThe CDC is missing a major opportunity to tie vaccination status with reopening guidance By coming out with such limited guidance they are missing the window to influence state and national policy Wen said in an email The CDC guidance did not speak to people who may have gained some level of immunity from being infected and recovering from the coronavirusThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever