Although things are not where we were before Covid-19, the vaccine has brought us to a place where we are beginning to feel a sense of normalcy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that those who have been fully vaccinated can safely gather indoors in private places, including homes, without masks. That means a lot to families who have been forced apart this past year… and most excitingly, that means HUGS are on the horizon!
People are considered fully vaccinated:
- Two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
If it has been less than two weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are NOT fully protected. Keep taking all preventative measures until you are fully vaccinated.
The CDC also reported that all three of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19, especially severe illness and death. We are still learning how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Early data show the vaccines may work against some variants but could be less effective against others; This is why it’s important to continue using caution around those not vaccinated as well as those who have been vaccinated that are considered medically fragile.
It’s important to note that after you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should continue taking precautions when indoors in public spaces such as retail & grocery stores. These precautions include wearing a mask, staying 6-feet apart from others, and doing your best to avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
For the time being, Coffee Regional Medical Center will continue to require face masks to be worn by everyone within our medical center and our physician offices. We believe that is the safe thing to do and will continue this practice until the general public is able to be vaccinated. We will continue to follow public health and CDC guidance.
To learn more about how you can be vaccinated as well as the CDC guidelines mentioned above, visit us online at: www.coffeeregional.org/coronavirus