4 reasons not to stop using a mask even when vaccinated 0:43
(CNN) -
The fastest way to return to a safe, mask-free life is for everyone to get vaccinated against covid-19.
However, just because you received a dose or two of a vaccine does not mean that you should get rid of the mask immediately.
In fact, that could harm you and put your friends and family at risk.
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Who is fully vaccinated against covid-19?
These are people who received both doses of the Pfizer / BioNtech and Moderna vaccines more than two weeks ago, as well as those who have been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for more than 15 days.
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According to the CDC guidance, fully vaccinated people can visit other individuals who have also completed their immunization cycle indoors without the need to wear masks or maintain social distancing.
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The vaccinated can also visit unvaccinated people who live together in a house.
As long as the members of that family have a low risk of developing severe COVID-19, such as children, for example.
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Nor should they be quarantined or tested if they were exposed to someone with covid-19.
This if they are asymptomatic.
In case they present symptoms, they will have to monitor them for 14 days and take the detention exam.
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In the words of Dr. Elmer Huerta, these conditions mean "that, finally, vaccinated grandparents will be able to visit their unvaccinated grandchildren and give them the big hug for which they have waited so many months."
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However, vaccinated people should avoid home visits or people living with unvaccinated family members who are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19, such as someone with cancer, morbid obesity, chronic or heart disease.
If they coincide, those vaccinated must wear a mask and maintain physical distance from people at risk or their families.
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The CDC guide also states that two or more vaccinated friends can share a dinner without wearing masks.
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According to the guide, vaccinated people should refrain from non-essential travel as much as possible, as it is very easy to be exposed to large crowds and to virus variants.
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Protective measures, such as masks and physical distancing, should be maintained in both gyms and restaurants, according to the CDC.
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Here we detail the reasons why you should continue to use masks in many cases and places.
Also in which cases it is safe to take it off.
Vaccines take weeks to work
You're not fully vaccinated until two weeks after your last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
That is, a period of at least 14 days from your second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, or the same time from the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
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What people vaccinated against COVID-19 can and cannot do in the US, according to the CDC
Therefore, leaving the mask too soon can lead to little or no protection against infection.
Even infect others.
Your family and friends may not have been vaccinated yet
Vaccines are great to help protect you against Covid-19 disease.
Yes, there is growing evidence to suggest that vaccines can also help prevent transmission.
But, the CDC clarifies that there is not yet enough data to prove whether vaccinated people can still carry the virus and infect others.
So unless your friends and family are also fully vaccinated or are at low risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19, you can put them at risk by seeing them and not wearing a mask.
CDC updates guide for vaccinated.
Check out the new guidelines here 6:17
What can I do without wearing a mask?
According to the CDC, fully vaccinated people can:
Visiting other vaccinated people indoors without masks or physical distancing
Visiting unvaccinated people from a single household indoors without face masks or physical distancing, as long as the unvaccinated are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease.
Skip quarantine and screening if you've been exposed to someone with COVID-19 but don't have symptoms.
(However, you should watch for possible symptoms for 14 days.)
Narrow Margin in US Covid-19 Vaccine and Variant Race, Expert Warns
Precautions not to be forgotten
Now, being fully vaccinated doesn't mean you can go crazy and forget about all the safety precautions.
Health experts say you should still:
Wear a mask and keep a good distance from those who are not vaccinated and are at higher risk for severe COVID-19.
Wear masks and preserve physical detachment when visiting unvaccinated people from multiple households.
Maintain physical distance in public.
Avoid large and medium sized crowds.
Avoid poorly ventilated public spaces.
Wash hands frequently.
Get tested for covid-19 if you feel bad.
The use of the vaccine in patients with chronic diseases 2:36
Wearing masks helps businesses and schools stay open
The faster everyone wears masks and gets vaccinated, the faster we can win the battle against COVID-19.
And therefore have businesses and schools safely open at full capacity ... without masks.
"People say 'when will it go back to normal and I won't have to wear my mask anymore?'" Said Dr. Leana Wen, CNN medical analyst and emergency physician.
That's not the right way to think about it.
We want our business to come back.
We want our churches to be open for in-person service and our schools to be open for face-to-face learning.
We need masks to do that, ”he insisted.
The use of masks can also be a good example for all people who have not been fully vaccinated, especially children.
Americans will have to keep wearing a mask until we achieve herd immunity, Wen warned.
Herd immunity
Between 70% and 85% of people must achieve immunity, either by surviving COVID-19 or by receiving a vaccine, to achieve herd immunity.
That is precisely the point where enough people are protected against a disease and it cannot spread through the population.
When will the United States achieve herd immunity and what will it be like?
If enough people get vaccinated, we may reach herd immunity by this summer.
That's why health experts urge everyone to get vaccinated when they can.
"We are so close to crossing the finish line," Wen said.
"If you hold out a little longer, we will put an end to this pandemic," he insisted.
Alaa Elassar and Jen Christensen, both from CNN, contributed to this report.
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