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“Please wait until you are fully immunized before traveling, before engaging in high-risk activities,” said Dr. Leana Wen, CNN medical analyst. “There is no doubt that once you get vaccinated, activities that once had a higher risk will now be less risky, so wait until then.”
“We have to hold on a little longer and give the vaccines a chance to really take hold,” Fauci said. “I guarantee you that in late spring and early summer you are going to see a gradual return to the level of normalcy that everyone is hoping for, but we don’t want to do it prematurely.”
The spread of coronavirus variants in the United States is at the top of the list of factors that worry experts.
“Relatively minor behavior changes can have a profound impact on short-term deaths,” said IHME.
What will Easter look like for those who are vaccinated?
However, for fully vaccinated Americans celebrating Easter, the holidays may be more like that sense of normal.
For those who are not fully vaccinated, the CDC has advised them to stick to their own homes for the egg hunt or to enjoy these traditions outside six feet apart, according to a series of tweets.
The CDC says it is still learning how vaccines protect against the coronavirus and advises that fully vaccinated people going out in public always wear masks and take precautions until the agency finds out more.
Officials and experts hope to get Americans vaccinated soon.
Nearly 154 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered across the country, according to CDC data. Thirty percent of the U.S. population – about 99.6 million people – has received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 17 percent – about 56 million people – have been fully vaccinated.
Pfizer vaccine protects for at least 6 months, but could last for years
The protection offered by Pfizer / BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine remains high for at least six months, the companies said Thursday.
And Wen, speaking on CNN Friday, described that level of protection as “the floor, certainly not the ceiling.”
She added: “It is highly likely that the protection the vaccine will provide will even be years. But we just don’t know.”
“I think there is a possibility that we need a booster shot. Maybe some booster shots targeting new, emerging variants,” Wen said. “But I think it’s a small price to pay now that we have these safe and very effective vaccines out there.”
Eligibility expands in some states
Protection against these vaccines will soon be available to many more people as states expand their eligibility.
Thursday was the first day that all Connecticut residents aged 16 and over were eligible to be vaccinated, Gov. Ned Lamont said at a news conference.
Residents have made more than 100,000 vaccine appointments, Lamont said, and the state will likely have supply to exceed demand by the end of April.
All Maryland residents aged 16 and over were able to pre-register for an appointment at a mass vaccination site on Thursday, Gov. Larry Hogan said.
“The country’s first federal mobile vaccination units have arrived at the headquarters of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency in Reisterstown,” the governor said Thursday. “In the next few days, these 32-foot trailers will be rolling out across the state.”
Maine has postponed the date all adults are eligible from April 19 to April 7, Governor Janet Mills said Thursday.
“While this is a big step forward, people in Maine should keep in mind that it will still take time to get an appointment and get vaccinated. We will continue to work with vaccine suppliers across Maine to get vaccines in arms as quickly as possible, ”added the governor.
Melanie Schuman, Maggie Fox, Ryan Prior, Deidre McPhillips, Anna Sturla, Melissa Alonso and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
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