Fully Vaccinated People Can Go Without Masks In Small Group Settings, CDC Says

The CDC has released new guidelines that apply only to people who are fully vaccinated. That means you must receive all doses of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines. Health officials also said you have to wait two weeks after your last dose to be considered fully vaccinated.

The guidelines would allow someone to visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or staying 6 feet apart.

They could also visit with unvaccinated people from another household indoors, without mitigation efforts, if everyone without a vaccine is at low risk for severe disease.

Oklahoma City-County Health Department’s epidemiologist, Eddie Withers, said this is good news but gatherings need to be kept to around 10 people.

“If you go into a public setting and you have no clue who you are around like at a restaurant or a bar you don’t know who you are around, so your risk is high,” said Eddie Withers.

If you do get together, in a small group, with people who are not vaccinated, you must then take into consideration if anyone in the group is at higher risk.

“The recommendation would be to look at the situation you are in,” said Jolianne Stone, the state’s deputy epidemiologist. “Identify who you might be interacting with, identify how many people might be at the event and make those precautions as best you see fit.”

Stone said this is one step closer to getting life back to normal but is urging people to proceed with caution.

“It is exciting but one of the ways we have to get there is getting the vaccine and making sure your friends and family are vaccinated,” said Stone.

Also, in that new guidance was those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to quarantine if they are exposed, but Stone noted to still watch for symptoms and get tested if any develop.