I have the COVID-19 vaccine. What can I do safely?
You can enjoy small meetings again, but you should continue to wear a mask and social distance in public.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that fully vaccinated people can meet without a mask with other vaccinated people indoors. It also says that you can meet unvaccinated people from one family at a time, if those people are considered to be at low risk of severe COVID-19. In other countries, guidelines may vary.
In public, the CDC recommends that vaccinated people continue to wear masks, avoid large gatherings and stay away from other people.
A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last necessary dose of the vaccine.
Guidance on other activities for vaccinated people remains cautious. The CDC still discourages unnecessary travel, for example, and has yet to make a recommendation about going to restaurants or other places.
The CDC hopes to update the guidance to allow for more activities as infections decrease and vaccinations increase.
One reason to remain on guard after receiving a dose of a two-dose vaccine: infection with partial protection increases the potential for mutation of the virus, said Dr. Joshua LaBaer, director of the Arizona State University Biodesign Institute .
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AP medical writer Mike Stobbe contributed to this report.
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The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Send them to: [email protected].
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