At the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines are now rolling out fast in the US. The more people being vaccinated, the sooner to end this pandemic. Every American will be eligible for a vaccine very soon and hope all shall be protected.
If you have been vaccinated, be proud for your contributions in herd immunity - the point at which enough people are immune to the virus that it can no longer spread. People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen).
CDC issued an interim public health recommendation for fully vaccinated people on March 8, 2021 and more updates are expected for post-vaccination guidance. Some few key points to be aware:
1. Are fully-vaccinated people safe not to wear a mask? Yes and no. Socializing between fully vaccinated people in private settings like homes are considered safe without a mask. However, fully vaccinated people engaging in social activities in public settings like gyms, offices, restaurants and stores must take proper precautions. Regardless of vaccination status, requirement for wearing a face mask, practice social distance, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces remain unchanged.
2. Quarantine and testing may not be required for fully vaccinated people if they exposed to the virus, unless symptoms appear.
3. Can a fully-vaccinated person to be infected and/or infecting others with the virus? Vaccines have been approved by the FDA for emergency use based on their efficacy and safety. Knowing the efficacy is not 100%, it is still possible to be infected or re-infected with COVID 19 after fully-vaccinated. The risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in fully vaccinated people cannot be completely eliminated as long as there is continued community transmission of the virus. Vaccinated people could potentially still get COVID-19. Promising data have been seen that vaccines significantly reduce transmission, but not fully. However, Getting COVID after vaccination is really rare—and likely to be more mild. You can have strong confidence that the vaccine will protect you from critically ill, which makes a life or death difference. According to CDC, current data suggests that fully vaccinated people don’t carry COVID-19 and confirms over 90% vaccine efficacy from both clinical trial and real-world population.
4. How long is the post-vaccine protection? This is still to be determined. CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available. A recent large study [N = 46,000] found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is "highly effective" with 91.3 percent vaccine efficacy against symptomatic COVID seven days to at least six months after the second dose. Experts are working to learn more about both natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity.
At the First Pandemic Anniversary
After one year of pandemic, we have learned good lessons in public health. Scientists are learning as much as possible about the impact of vaccination on transmission of the virus, including newly emerging variants globally. Data from countries that have successfully vaccinated large population will lead with more new findings from ongoing researches. The good news is that although the COVID 19 variants are concerning, human immune system may find ways to defend against new variants. Studies indicate that vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies in higher amounts than is typically made in a COVID 19 infection. While the vaccine roll out is making good progress, it’s hopeful to return to normal life, with the coronavirus being part of our normal life. The bottom line is we do our part to prevent virus transmission and infection, protecting ourselves and our community.
