COVID-19 vaccination rates are on the rise across Oklahoma and the nation; leaving many curious about whether they can relax pandemic precautions.
With new guidance from the U.S. Center of Disease Control and Prevention, experts at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation answer questions about post-vaccination life.
1. What is "full vaccination," and how long does it take?
Being fully vaccinated means your body has formed a maximal immune response to a vaccine. Whether you received a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) or the single- does Johnson & Johnson jab, the timetable after the final- or only- shot is the same: two weeks.
"Trial data shows this is the optimal amount of time for your body to build a full immune response and the vaccine to reach peak performance," said OMRF immunologist Eliza Chakravarty, M.D., in a new release. "Vaccines are not like pain medication; they take a little while to kick in. your immune system has a lot of work to do."
2. Can I be indoors with unmasked people?
Small groups of fully vaccinated people can gather indoor, unmasked, with other fully vaccinated people. And the CDC says fully vaccinated people can gather unmasked indoors with unvaccinated people for one other household, as long as none of those people are at high risk for severe illness form COVID-19.
"it's a much lower risk," said OMRF physician-scientist Hal Scofield, M.D. "The COVID-19 vaccines are among the most effective ever produced. If you're tired of mask, get vaccine as soon as you can." - Staff report