Q. My wife and I are in our late 80s and have received both doses of our COVID vaccine. Our adult children, in their 50s and 60s, have also received their vaccine. We also have grandchildren that live in the area. However, they are not yet eligible to receive the COVID vaccine. Some of them live alone, and others live with our adult children. We’ve pretty much kept to ourselves since the onset of winter. Before that, we would visit with family outside, from a safe distance. Now that we’re vaccinated, we desperately want to get back to family dinners and other family events that we’ve avoided during the pandemic. Is it safe for us to so now that we’re vaccinated?
A. You are not alone in your feelings of desperation to want life to return to “normal.” It’s been over a year since the onset of the pandemic, and everyone is feeling fatigued with it all. COVID cases are indeed on the decline, especially as more and more Americans are receiving complete vaccinations. However, researchers are still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID. Although we’ve been living with COVID for over a year, there is still much to learn about the virus and current vaccines’ efficacy.
That said, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have provided guidelines for adults who’ve been vaccinated. According to the CDC, fully vaccinated adults can resume some things that they stopped during the pandemic. Here are what the current guidelines state and what it means for your particular circumstance:
You can gather indoors with other family members who have been fully vaccinated without wearing a mask. This means that you can visit with your fully vaccinated adult children from any household.
You can also visit indoors with others who have not yet received a vaccine without wearing a mask, as long as they come from the same household. For example, you could visit with your adult children AND their children that live with them. The CDC guidelines indicate it’s best not to mix households yet.
You can still safely gather outdoors with mixed households who are unvaccinated. Keep your distance and avoid medium or large-sized gatherings.
It’s also important to note that you still need to exercise precaution when you are out in public. Continue to wear a face mask in public places and maintain social distancing until otherwise indicated. Avoid crowded places and poorly ventilated spaces. The CDC recommends delaying domestic and international travel. You also need to monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID, especially if you’ve been around someone who is ill. No vaccine is 100 percent effective. It’s important that you remain vigilant even after being fully vaccinated.
Always refer to the guidelines established by the CDC, as they continue to update their recommendations for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Before long, this pandemic will be in our rearview mirror. Keep up the good work in doing your part to stop the spread.
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