You’ve been vaccinated – CDC is finalizing advice on what’s safe for you

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finalizing guidelines to clarify what Americans who have received Vaccines against covid-19 should and shouldn’t, according to two agency sources familiar with his editorial staff.

Upcoming guidelines, first reported by Politico, are expected to include that fully vaccinated people should be able to gather in small groups with other people who have also been vaccinated. The CDC does not currently recommend in-person meetings with the general public, saying that “meeting virtually or with the people you live with is the safest choice.”

Even for people who are fully vaccinated, other mitigation measures will always be recommended, including wearing a mask in public and social distancing.

The sources did not say exactly when the advice would be released, but one said it would be when it was finalized “later this week.”

At the White House COVID-19 response briefing on Monday, President Biden’s chief medical adviser Dr.Anthony Fauci gave an overview of the advice saying that small gatherings among people ” doubly vaccinated “are low risk -” so low that you wouldn’t have to wear a mask, so you can have a good social gathering at home. ”

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses; Johnson & johnsonwill only require one hit. This vaccine received emergency use clearance from the Food and Drug Administration over the weekend and doses begin to be administered this week.

The advice comes as the nation stands at a crossroads in its fight against the virus. Nationwide average daily cases have fallen by more than 50% in the past month, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, but that progress has leveled off. Over the past week, CDC data shows average new cases have increased by almost 2%.

CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said in Monday’s briefing that she remained “deeply concerned about a potential change in the trajectory of the pandemic.” States across the country, including New York, Massachusetts and Arkansas, are easing COVID-related restrictions on businesses, adding to fears the United States is letting its guard down too soon. Texas became the third state to cancel its statewide mask mandate in recent days on Tuesday, joining Montana and Iowa.

At the same time, the pace of vaccinations continues to increase, and with more Americans vaccinated, the need for further guidance on what this population can do safely has increased. But Walensky stressed that now was not the time to resume the trip or ignore other security measures.

“The goal in those first 100 days has always been to make sure we are able to come out of this pandemic,” she said. “At 70,000 cases per day, we’re not in that place right now.”