CDC Says Fully-Vaccinated Americans Can Gather Without Masks Or Distancing

NEW YORK – Fully-vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing.

That’s according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials. The recommendations were announced Monday. They also say that vaccinated people can come together in the same way with people considered at low-risk for severe diseases, such as in the case of vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy children and grandchildren.

Officials say a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine. About 30 million Americans or only about 9% of the U.S. population have been fully vaccinated with a federally authorized COVID-19 vaccine so far.

Until then, people should be taking the same precautions health officials have been urging since last year: wear a properly fitting mask, wash your hands, stay 6 feet apart from others and avoid large groups.

Studies show the COVID-19 vaccines are “highly effective” at protecting fully vaccinated people against symptomatic and severe COVID-19, and there’s growing evidence that suggests people who’ve been vaccinated are less likely to have asymptomatic COVID-19 and potentially less likely to spread COVID-19 to others, the CDC states.