Mask Rules Removed for Most Vaccinated People

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today 'if you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities you did before the COVID-19 pandemic began in December 2019.

And, the CDC says '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.'

'Fully vaccinated people can refrain from testing following a known exposure unless they are residents or employees of a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter. Furthermore, the three U.S. FDA Authorized 'COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick.'

These Authorized COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to 116,387,534 people over 18 years of age as of May 12, 2021. This data represents about 45.1% of the US population.

And to protect more people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for the experimental Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine on May 10th to include adolescents 12 through 15 years of age.

'These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. But, they are not intended for healthcare settings.' stated the CDC.

This CDC guidance applies to people intending to travel domestically and abroad. The COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by the U.S. FDA are the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. The CDC travel guidance can also be applied to COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized by the World Health Organization, which are list on this webpage.

Moreover, if you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. Even after vaccination, you may need to continue taking all precautions. Talk to your healthcare provider, suggests the CDC.