Yes. As of Apr. 8, 2021, there is no evidence that vaccinations prevent transmission — or even acquiring the virus — like a traditional vaccine, as they are designed to slow or stop progression of the virus within a person’s body.
On March 8, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued guidance for the non-healthcare setting regarding individuals who have been fully vaccinated. In this guidance, the CDC instructs that fully vaccinated people should still follow precautions (masks, distancing, etc.) when “in public” and also suggests employees should still follow employers’ guidelines.
According to the CDC’s, people are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks after receiving the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or two weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen).
The CDC indicates that fully-vaccinated people can:
- Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing;
- Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing; and
- Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic.
But the CDC also noted that fully vaccinated people should still:
- Take precautions in public like wearing a well-fitted mask and physical distancing;
- Wear masks, practice physical distancing, and adhere to other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease;
- Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households;
- Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings
- Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms;
- Follow guidance issued by individual employers; and
- Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations
