Advice for Vaccinated People

We are hearing many questions from vaccinated people wanting to know when and how they can resume some of their favorite group activities. People are eager to reconvene their bridge groups and meet-ups with friends.

What does it mean to be fully vaccinated?
You are “fully vaccinated” 2 weeks after your final dose of vaccine. If you received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, that will be 5 – 6 weeks after your first dose and 2 weeks after your second. Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine must wait 2 weeks after their single dose.

The benefits of full vaccination
If you and your friends are all fully vaccinated, you can party like it’s 2019. That’s right. Invite them over for dinner. There are no limits to the number of fully vaccinated people you can host. Everyone can be inside. Nobody needs to wear a mask, and you can sit or stand as close together as you want. Hug your friends! It will feel like going back in time! According to the data we have right now, your risk of becoming infected with a serious case of COVID-19 is almost zero.

Adding unvaccinated people
You can add up to one unvaccinated family to this fully vaccinated group, if (1) the unvaccinated folks are at low risk of a severe case of COVID-19, and (2) they wear masks and keep their distance. If the party is outside, that ventilation provides more protection.

Restaurants and travel
As tempting as it is to take the group public, we recommend that you keep your gatherings at home, for now. In public, all the old rules—including masking and distancing—apply, even for fully vaccinated people. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet changed its guidance about travel, even for fully vaccinated people. These rules will likely remain in place in public until the majority of the population is vaccinated.

Here in Vermont, everyone who wants to be vaccinated will likely have the chance to this spring. By early-to-mid summer, we will all be fully vaccinated. We predict a lot of safe celebrating!

Donna Barron, RN, is the infection preventionist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.