As of July 9, 2021, there have been 332,345,797 vaccines administered in the U.S., per the CDC. Being vaccinated affords individuals protections against COVID-19 and affords them more freedoms to return to many of the same activities they did before the pandemic began. Per the CDC, “fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”
Be aware that being fully vaccinated means that a person is two weeks out from a single dose vaccine (J&J) or two weeks out from the second dose of a two step vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna), in order to allow the body to build immunity or protection against a future encounter. Other recent recommendations include that fully vaccinated teachers and students do not need to mask in the classroom. As of now, masking precautions are still taking place in healthcare settings.
The newest information released yesterday was a joint statement from the CDC and FDA stating that “Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time.” This statement was given in response to the booster strategy update from Pfizer BioNTech describing a booster that could be given six months after the second vaccine that shows “encouraging data”. At this time, the CDC and FDA voice that they feel confident that those vaccinated individuals are protected from the new variants, specifically the delta variant which has been noted to be much more contagious in the US. The vaccines are also very effective at preventing hospitalizations and death, which prevents our hospitals from being overloaded and saves lives.
Vaccines are widely available and safe. If you or someone you love is eligible for a vaccine (ages 12 and up), please encourage them to proceed!
