The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday that those who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus and who “meet the criteria” will no longer be required to quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19. The CDC said the update applies to fully vaccinated people who received the last dose in the previous three months and have remained asymptomatic since exposure to COVID-19.
“People who do not meet all three of the above criteria should continue to follow the current quarantine guidelines after exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19,” said the agency, noting that while the risk of transmission from vaccinated people remains uncertain, vaccines have been shown to prevent symptomatic COVID-19.
“In addition, the individual and social benefits of avoiding unnecessary quarantine can outweigh the potential, but unknown, risk of transmission and facilitate the targeting of public health resources to people most at risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to others,” said the CDC.
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The agency warned that fully vaccinated people who do not quarantine should still monitor symptoms for 14 days after exposure and that those who develop symptoms should be evaluated and tested. It also recommends that fully vaccinated people continue to adhere to public health measures.
The update applies to fully vaccinated people who received the last dose in the previous three months and have remained asymptomatic since exposure to COVID-19.
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Further down in the update, the agency noted that vaccinated inpatients or those who are residents of health care facilities should still be quarantined after exposure, due to an increased risk of serious illness and death among this population.
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“Although it is not preferred, health facilities may consider dispensing quarantine for vaccinated patients and residents as a strategy to mitigate critical problems when other options are unsuccessful or unavailable,” the agency said.
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The update was posted the same day that the CDC issued additional mask guidelines, which included data on the use of two masks instead of one. Specifically, the agency found that wearing a cloth mask in addition to a surgical or medical mask was up to 95% effective in preventing aerosol transmission in a simulated laboratory experiment.