The CDC has finally released some guidelines for people who have been fully vaccinated. This gives us something to look forward to.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html
News coverage of this guidance is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRmJnLuRjl8
“Fully vaccinated” means people two weeks out from their final dose of whichever vaccine they have received:
- 2 weeks following the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines
- 2 weeks following their single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
These guidelines give us a glimpse of the benefits we can receive from getting the vaccine. While it is not yet the end of our year with the coronavirus, it is a significant leap forward.
Today I met for the first time indoors with a friend who is also fully vaccinated, for coffee and conversation. While we have often spoken on the phone and on Zoom during the past year, and have sometimes met in the back yard, there was something very special about a relaxed conversation indoors with my friend.
This week I went to the grocery store myself — wearing a mask and maintaining social distances, but actually reading shelves and exploring my community with a new calm and sense of personal power that I have not felt in a very long time. I was no longer as fearful as I have been for the past year.
For many people this milestone might be the first time they can do simple but extraordinary things like visiting someone in a nursing home or meeting a new grandchild.
It is not yet time to stop all cautions, but it is an important first step. One person said to me that just writing his appointment into his calendar he felt more hopeful than he has all year.
I do hope that we will all work together to get vaccinated, help the country reach that important “herd immunity” milestone, so that we can all get back to work, school, and shopping in a more normal way.
When all of us who can get the vaccine are immunized, we protect those among us who for medical reasons cannot take the vaccine — all those people with severe allergies or other reasons for caution.
Let’s protect ourselves, our families, and our communities and get back to the new normal.
There are two things that each one of us can do now:
- Reduce the spread of contagion — wear a mask, wash your hands, maintain social distance
- Get vaccinated
Dolly Parton said it best. “I’m begging of you please don’t hesitate, ’cause once you’re dead, that’s a bit too late.”
Millions of people have now received the vaccines, so our knowledge about side effects is growing daily. The CDC website has information on many special considerations. If you have concerns about your own medical condition, please check with your doctor.
Pregnant women are at increased risk for severe disease if they contract COVID. If you are not yet pregnant, this would be a good time to get vaccinated. If you are already pregnant, please read this document and check with your doctor. Many women are electing to get vaccinated even if they are currently pregnant, and no adverse effects have been reported to mother or child.
