The conversation
You can fly! You can fly! You can fly! The CDC says that vaccinated people can go back to heaven, but the agency is not saying you should do that.
Millions of people, especially older people who have been isolated from their children and grandchildren, are now able to fly internally at low risk now, says the CDC. Hispanolistic / Getty ImagesIt is OK for fully vaccinated people to travel internally again without quarantine, as long as they wear a mask and maintain the social detachment guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on April 2, 2021 in their updated travel guidelines. The agency reports that people still wash or sanitize their hands frequently while traveling. The guidelines also provide guidance for other modes of transport, except air travel, and are for domestic travel. The CDC recommends delaying international travel for people who are fully vaccinated. The agency also advises postponing domestic travel for those who are not fully vaccinated. And, the updated travel guidance comes just days after CDC director Rochelle Walensky reminded people that wearing a mask is still essential and that the United States is not out of danger. Fully vaccinated means that two weeks have passed since people received the full dose of the vaccine. There are two injections for those who have been vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. For those who have been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, this is an injection. Studies have shown that it takes the body two weeks to develop a complete immune response to the vaccine, regardless of the vaccine it receives. More than 50 million people have been fully vaccinated and more than 100 million people in the United States received at least one dose of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines on April 2, 2021. Evidence continues to show that vaccination with Pfizer, As Modern and Johnson & Johnson vaccines offer very high levels of protection against coronavirus. And, research is showing that the risk of vaccinated people spreading the disease to others is low. However, there is still a small risk that vaccinated people may pass the disease on to others. While this is good news for those who wish to travel – as well as for the aviation industry and tourist destinations – people are still confused about what they can and cannot do safely. As an infectious disease physician, I have answered many questions from my patients, as well as my friends and family, about what someone can do after being vaccinated. Do vaccinated people need to wear masks, distance themselves socially and avoid travel? If you are fully vaccinated – that is, if you are more than two weeks away from receiving two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose from Johnson & Johnson – you can visit other fully vaccinated people without distancing yourself socially or wearing masks, according to CDC guidelines. You can even make an internal visit with unvaccinated people from the same family who are at low risk of serious COVID-19 disease, without wearing masks or walking away. The CDC suggests that you get tested if you develop symptoms that may be COVID-19. You should remain isolated until it is shown that you are not infected. Even if you are fully vaccinated, you should avoid social environments that include several unvaccinated families. And, you should avoid medium to large crowds because of the increased risk. You should also continue to wear a tight-fitting mask, wash your hands frequently and keep your physical distance when you are away from home. Worshiping indoors in a synagogue, mosque or church is not yet advisable, unless all participants are vaccinated. Regarding the new guidelines, the CDC states that vaccinated people should still monitor themselves before and after their trip and wash or sanitize their hands frequently. Therefore, in the face of the continuous transmission of the pandemic and new viral variants, we all need to remain vigilant and observe good health practices, even after being vaccinated. However, it is good news that we can prudently lift some of the restrictions that have limited our ability to be with our loved ones. This is good news especially for the elderly who are particularly vulnerable to the negative side of isolation – and for loved ones who wish to visit them. [Research into coronavirus and other news from science Subscribe to The Conversation’s weekly science newsletter.] Editor’s Note: This article was updated from an article originally published on March 8, 2021. This article has been republished from The Conversation, a non-profit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: William Petri, University of Virginia. Read more: Why Johnson & Johnson discarding 15 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine should not scare you. What are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine that I can expect? William Petri receives grant from NIH, Gates Foundation, Regeneron