Vaccinated. Now what?
Three vaccines have been approved for emergency use in the United States.
The race is on.
One of the most frequently asked questions is which vaccine should I take? Given the supply and the restrictions, the shortest answer is the first one you can get.
The new question on the horizon is what freedoms do I gain from being vaccinated against COVID-19? So, without delay, here is the best news first: You no longer have to quarantine. After being fully vaccinated, current data shows great success within the first three months. Those of us who are chomping at the bits for warm weather or just ready to fly-the-coop without having to “re-coop” upon return, this is our chance.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Vaccinated people with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria:
• Are fully vaccinated, i.e., two weeks following receipt of the second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine
• Are within three months following receipt of the last dose in the series
• Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure
Another perk of vaccination is being able to show your smile in person. Small, indoor get-togethers without masks are now on the can-do list, making spring flings a thing again.
But with conflicting news broadcasts daily, knowing what is right for you as an individual can get tricky. How do you reconcile the fact that the vaccine does not prevent the transmission of the virus and is less effective against new variant strains with these new, loosened CDC guidelines?
The answer comes from putting science together with common sense.
Take this oversimplified analogy for instance. Fido is treated for fleas. Despite that, a flea can still jump on and off. Science says that Fido will not become a true host, thus he poses less of a transmission concern to others and is free to go to the dog park. If, however, a resistant species is picked up, all bets are off, and Fido stays home.
The coronavirus, in vaccinated individuals, is less likely to take up residence and build enough viral particles for aggressive virulence and community spread. This allows those who are vaccinated to be less of a threat, thus garnering more freedom from public health concerns.
These concerns remain, however, as it’s still unclear as to how much protection an individual garners and whether a resistant strain is soon to cross paths. And that’s why masks and social distancing still remain on the guidelines.
Although the individual data will differ, the aggregated public health data has given solid evidence that the community is healthier and allowed the CDC to release updated guidelines in early March. These new results outline the vaccine’s effect on public health and the new individual freedoms that can be extrapolated.
Both the two “mRNA vaccines” (which allows the body to make viral-spike protein) and the “adenovirus vector vaccine” (carrying the viral spike-protein) have shown proven efficacy in preventing severe cases of COVID-19.
Preventing serious illness and death is the primary cause of concern with this virus, not just catching it. Had it not been for its alarming death rate, the coronavirus would have been treated like the common cold.
