SALT LAKE CITY – As the COVID-19 vaccine campaign increases and more Utahns are protected, people are wondering when they will be able to meet with loved ones who have already been vaccinated.
Some individuals over 70 will soon be fully vaccinated, but is it too early to visit?
Dr. Emily Spivak, an associate professor of medicine in the University of Utah Health’s Division of Infectious Diseases, said that we still need to act with caution towards people who have been vaccinated.
The positive side: vaccines prevent the person from contracting symptomatic infections and serious illnesses. But researchers do not know how well vaccines prevent asymptomatic infections, or the ability of people to spread the virus without knowing they are sick.
Therefore, the best recommendation is to follow your local health guidelines.
“We must not change our behaviors until we have a large proportion of the vaccinated population,” said Spivak.
We must also avoid travel, mask and social distance, said the doctor. But Spivak also recognizes that many of our loved ones have been extraordinarily isolated for almost a year, and she understands that some people will be at risk of getting close.
“If you’re going to pay a visit, it shouldn’t be between the first and the second dose, and it should be at least two weeks or later after the second dose,” she said.
This will allow the vaccinated individual to have maximum protection time.
If you meet someone recently vaccinated, Spivak said: wear a mask, keep your distance and meet outside if you can.
“Don’t let your guard down completely,” she said. “We still employ some of the basic mitigation strategies we talked about to prevent asymptomatic transmission – preferably using masks.”
The vaccines available so far appear to protect against variants of the virus emerging in the United States. Even though vaccines have reduced efficacy against variants, they appear to be very protective against serious illness and hospitalization.
When you are available for a vaccine, she said that everyone offers the protection we need.
“The faster we can get people to take them, regardless of the vaccine offered, the more quickly we will get ‘herd immunity’ or we will protect enough of the population to delay transmission of this virus and maybe get back to normal,” she said.
It is another aspect of the vaccine campaign that requires a lot of patience.
“I think we are going in the right direction. I would like to see this faster and more widely, but I am optimistic that we will get there,” said Spivak.
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Jed Boal