After Getting the Covid-19 Vaccine, Here’s What Dr Wen Says You Can Do

Dr. Leana Wen: A person is fully vaccinated at least two weeks after the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two weeks after a second dose of Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

CNN: What are the CDC’s guidelines for fully immunized people meeting?

Magnifying glass: The CDC says people who are fully vaccinated can see themselves, indoors, without masks or social distancing. This will be a huge relief for many people. Those who live alone and have been isolated for many months may be together after vaccination. Vaccinated couples may see other fully vaccinated couples dine in their private residences.

CNN: Is there a size limit to the number of fully vaccinated people who can meet?

Magnifying glass: Because vaccination status is so important, I would make sure that you have confidence that the people you see are vaccinated. Do not hesitate to ask them directly and see proof of vaccination. The larger the group, the more likely it is that you don’t know someone from that group well. If you are unsure of their immunization status, do not meet indoors with them.

CNN: What about the meetings? Can you finally reunite with a partner if both are vaccinated?

Magnifying glass: Yes, if you and the person you are dating are both fully immunized, you can definitely be with each other again. The question of trust arises here for people who are just dating or if you meet someone you don’t know well. Make sure to check that the other parts are really vaccinated. If you can’t be sure, skip the face-to-face meeting or only see these people outside, at least 6 feet apart.

CNN: What about visiting a family where some or all of the individuals have not yet been vaccinated? A lot of grandparents really want to see their grandchildren.

Magnifying glass: The CDC provides some great advice here that should come as a relief to many grandparents. They say visits are fine for people vaccinated with unvaccinated people from a single household, as long as unvaccinated people are at low risk for severe Covid-19.

Let’s say both grandparents are vaccinated. They visit a so-called “mixed” household where only one parent is vaccinated and none of the children is. If all unvaccinated people in the household are generally healthy, this visit can take place – indoors, without masks or distance, with grandparents free to hug their families.

It gets trickier if someone in the house is at greater risk of developing severe Covid-19. This is where there is a lot of nuance and complexity. What if a parent, for example, has asthma and high blood pressure, or if a child is immunocompromised? We know that grandparents are well protected and likely have a significantly reduced risk of carrying coronavirus. I would say the safest thing is that grandparents lower their other risks before they see the family. For example, they should not see other people who have not been vaccinated in the previous 10 days.

CNN: What about a family reunion, with multiple families that have unvaccinated members?

Magnifying glass: The CDC is pretty clear here. This shouldn’t happen, except outside, with masks and distances. The key is that unvaccinated people from different households should not mix, as they could be carriers and infect other people.

CNN: Many families live apart from each other. What does the CDC say about travel to see loved ones?

Magnifying glass: Here’s where I disagree with the CDC’s advice. The CDC still discourages non-essential air travel, which would include visits to family. I don’t think that meets a common sense test. Another part of the CDC’s guidance says fully vaccinated people do not need to quarantine if exposed to someone known to have coronavirus. It is a very high level exhibition. The risk of exposure on a flight, train or driving is already low. If someone is vaccinated, this risk is even lower.

I think fully vaccinated people should feel free to travel to see their families, but of course please take all precautions while traveling – including wearing a properly fitted mask at all times in public places, including trying to keep a physical distance when possible, and wash your hands well.

CNN: The CDC doesn’t say much about other activities like going to a restaurant or the gym. What about these parameters?

Magnifying glass: Again, this is where I disagree with the CDC’s overly cautious guidelines. I understand they don’t want people to completely let go of their guard, but clinicians know we need to meet people where they are and approach every situation with the nuance it deserves.

Let’s say someone is vaccinated and really wants to attend church services in person and return to their senior center for indoor activities. The risk to them is very low, and their risk to others is also low. On the other hand, the cost of continuous isolation will be high.

I think they should be able to return to the activities that are most important to them, while again making sure to wear masks and stay physically distant. I would go so far as to say that a couple who really want to eat out again could do so every now and then, but not night after night.

People should be careful not to go to crowded bars. Be sure to wear masks in public. Just because something is open in your state doesn’t mean you can safely visit it. We need to encourage vaccination as a route back to pre-pandemic life and work with people to reduce their risk.

CNN: What do you say to someone who wants to go: a church, a restaurant, a museum, a cinema, a concert – all inside?

Magnifying glass: That’s what I would say – it depends on your individual situation.

First, take a look at your own risk factors. Remember that the vaccine is not bulletproof protection. It offers very good protection, especially against serious illnesses, but there will always be some level of risk. Masks provide a very good extra layer of protection, as does distancing, ventilation, etc.

If you are at very high risk yourself due to age and underlying medical conditions, consider limiting yourself to CDC guidelines and only see others vaccinated in private and social settings. If you have high-risk conditions, but also have something you really want to do, think about your own values ​​and priorities. For some people, going to church service is so essential that the benefits far outweigh any possible risk, for example.

Then look at the setting itself. A restaurant is always the safest outside. Indoor meals present some risk, but again, if people wear masks except while eating and there is good spacing and ventilation, that risk is low enough that some people choose to. dine indoors after vaccination. The other parameters are similar. Most museums allow good distancing and should be fine. Look at the cinemas and concert halls you can think of. If they provide good ventilation and spacing, and everyone is wearing masks, it will be a relatively low risk.

Vaccines offer so much hope. I think the CDC and the entire public health community need to do a lot more to express exactly how much incredible hope there is. We’re not going to reduce the risk to zero, but we can reduce it to a level low enough that those vaccinated will return to much of pre-pandemic normal.