If it has been at least two weeks since you received your last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, you are now considered “fully vaccinated.” You are armed with our best weapon against a virus that has killed more than 3.8 million people worldwide and upended our lives in unimaginable ways. That is truly something worth celebrating.

But before you throw caution to the wind (or throw a party), it’s important to remember the coronavirus is still spreading, and many people are refusing to get vaccinated – so some precautions are still necessary to protect yourself and the people around you. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published specific guidance about what the fully vaccinated can do and cannot do, and AARP asked experts to answer other common questions.


  1. You still need a mask, but only in some situations

People who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask in most indoor and outdoor settings, large or small, the CDC said on May 13. However, masks will still be required on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation, as well as in transportation hubs like airports and train stations. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky also noted that health care facilities “will continue to follow their specific infection-control recommendations.” Businesses and workplaces can set their own guidance.



  1. You could still catch COVID-19

Although all three vaccines authorized for emergency use in the US have been proven highly effective against severe disease and death from COVID-19, there’s still a chance you could get infected – also known as a breakthrough case.

No vaccine prevents illness 100% of the time, according to the CDC. However, real-world studies show the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are 94% effective against hospitalization from COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adults. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 66.1% effective in multi-country clinical trials and 72% effective in US trials.

“The whole point of a vaccine is that it prevents you from dying or ending up in the hospital,” says Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist and immunologist at NYU Langone Health. “But you may still get sick.”

  1. You could infect someone else

There’s also a small chance you could get infected with the virus and not even realize it, and then transmit it to someone who is not vaccinated, says Kristen Marks, MD, an infectious disease specialist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine who leads COVID-19 vaccine trials.

Researchers are still studying whether the vaccines prevent the asymptomatic spread of the virus, she says. Early data indicates that they likely do, and Walensky pointed to this as a reason for the agency’s updated mask guidance for vaccinated individuals. Still, research is ongoing.

  1. You can visit friends and family


  1. You don’t have to quarantine after exposure


  1. You should keep your vaccine record card handy

In the future, you may need proof of vaccination to travel, work in certain industries or attend large events, Parikh says. Several other countries already have a validation system in the works, and a number of private companies in the US are working on creating a digital passport that would include your vaccination status. “Obviously, your vaccine card is your main proof right now,” Parikh adds.

Your card may also come in handy to confirm which vaccine you received, and when you received it, if a booster dose is required. If you didn’t hang onto your card, the provider that administered your vaccine should have an electronic or paper record.

  1. Pack your bags: You can travel

Because people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to get and spread COVID-19, they can now travel “at low risk to themselves” in the US, the CDC says. Fully vaccinated travelers don’t need a covid test before or after domestic travel, unless required by their destination. They also don’t need to self-quarantine after a trip.

When it comes to international travel, fully vaccinated individuals do not need to get tested before leaving the US, unless required by their destination. However, a negative test is required before returning to the States. What’s more, fully vaccinated travelers do not need to self-quarantine following international travel.

Just remember: The coronavirus is still spreading in many areas throughout the world, so it’s a good idea to pay attention to the statistics in your destination and check on any local travel requirements before you finalize your trip.

  1. It’s a good time to go to the doctor or dentist


The only screening you may want to hold off getting right away is a mammogram. Many women develop swelling in the lymph nodes in their underarm after vaccination, the CDC says. Although the swelling is a normal sign that your body is building protection to the coronavirus, it could cause a false mammogram reading – so some experts recommend waiting four to six weeks after you are fully vaccinated to get a mammogram.

  1. You may need a booster shot

Marks says there are two reasons we might need a booster shot: if our immunity wears off naturally or if the virus changes so much that the immunity we have from the current vaccines proves inadequate. Researchers still don’t know how long immunity from the vaccines will last.


The current vaccines provide some protection against the coronavirus variants circulating right now. But a few contain a mutation that may allow the virus to elude some of the antibodies produced through vaccines. The vaccine manufacturers are working to create booster shots or updated versions of their shots to improve protection against those variants. Chances are we will have to get some kind of COVID-19 shot on a regular basis, perhaps even every year, like the flu shot.

  1. A return to normal hinges on herd immunity

Before life can get totally back to normal, experts say that we first need to reach herd immunity – when enough Americans are vaccinated to significantly slow the spread of the virus. Estimates of when we will reach that point range from this summer to early 2022.



Source: AARP