SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — Each day, more and more people are getting fully vaccinated for COVID-19, raising the question — must they continue to wear masks and social distance?
Infectious disease experts say they don’t need to if they are gathering with others who are fully vaccinated.
“Two people being vaccinated or a group that has been vaccinated can gather, have meals together, can be together, indoors outdoors,” Dr. Monica Gandhi said. “We don’t use these words anymore because they are vaccinated against the virus.”
But infectious disease specialist Dr. Monica Gandhi said the advice changes if fully vaccinated people are with those who are unvaccinated because there remains a small chance that those vaccinated can carry the virus and pass it on to those who have not been vaccinated.
“For now, it’s still prudent to say the vaccinated around the unvaccinated should mask and distance,” Dr. Ghandi said.
“It’s a big leap going from where we have been without the vaccine to going where we will be with the vaccine, so I am going to take that leap somewhat cautiously,” Dr. John Swartzberg said.
UC Berkeley infectious disease specialist Dr. John Swatzberg is choosing to take a more conservative approach, saying he may gather with fully vaccinated people unmasked but at this point he prefers to stay outside until there’s more study done.
“I’d like some experience under my belt first before making a decision to take masks off inside with other people who are vaccinated,” he said. “So I want to wait to see what the experience shows us as opposed how it should behave.”
To that questions can fully vaccinated grandparents hug their grandchildren? The answer seems to be yes, but if those grandchildren haven’t been vaccinated, grandparents should wear masks when doing it.
