CDC: Fully vaccinated people do not need to quarantine after exposure to COVID

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new guidelines that say people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus no longer need to quarantine if exposed to someone infected with COVID-19.

“Fully vaccinated people who meet the criteria will no longer be required to quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19,” the CDC said in updated guidelines Wednesday.

“Vaccinated people exposed to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria.”

Criteria include having had both Pfizer or Moderna vaccines – the two vaccines currently available to the American public – and at least two weeks have passed since receiving the second dose. Studies have shown that full immunity is not built until a few weeks after the end of the vaccination schedule.

The CDC said people should also quarantine if more than three months have passed since they received the second vaccine and they are exposed to the virus, since the duration of protections is unclear. . People should also self-quarantine if they show symptoms of coronavirus.

“This recommendation to forgo quarantine for people immune to vaccines aligns with quarantine recommendations for people with natural immunity, which makes it easier to implement,” the CDC said.

The agency maintained that those vaccinated should continue to follow all other health guidelines, including wearing a mask and social distancing where possible. Studies have shown that those who were inoculated could still hold the virus in their nose and throat and pass it on to those around them.

“At this time, those vaccinated should continue to follow current guidelines to protect themselves and others, including wearing a mask, staying at least six feet from others, avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands often following CDC travel advice, and following applicable workplace or school guidelines, including guidelines for the use of personal protective equipment or the SARS-CoV-2 test, ”says the guide.

The new directions come as vaccine production offers a glimmer of hope for an end to the pandemic.

The rollout of the Pfizer and Moderna plans has accelerated, with perhaps more injections getting the green light in the coming weeks.

However, cases and deaths remain high. There were more than 95,000 new cases in the United States on Wednesday and 3,445 people died on Tuesday alone, according to the most recent figures from the COVID Tracking Project.