The COVID-19 vaccines provide many important benefits like increased protection against the virus and getting our country back to a more normal way of life. Once you get vaccinated, what does this mean for mask-wearing, travel, social gatherings, herd immunity, and more? Drs. Maryrose Laguio-Vila and Robert Mayo provide their insight.

Can you still spread COVID-19 after getting vaccinated?

The vaccines approved by the United States FDA help to prevent you from getting sick from COVID-19 and are especially effective in preventing severe illness or death. 

"If you've been vaccinated, you're much less likely to get sick or have complications," explained Dr. Maryrose Laguio-Vila, infectious disease specialist at Rochester Regional Health. "Early data show that the vaccines may also help to keep people from spreading COVID-19, but we are learning more as more people get vaccinated. You should still watch out for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you've been around someone who is sick. If you do have symptoms, you should get tested and stay home, even if you've been vaccinated." 

Mask-wearing, hand hygiene, avoiding gatherings, and physical distancing are still important to do in public, if you're gathering with a group from more than one household or if you're visiting someone who is high-risk, even for those who have received two doses of the vaccine. There are new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control for what fully vaccinated people can do indoors with small groups. 

Can I get together with other vaccinated people, without wearing my mask? 

According to new guidance from the CDC, individuals who are fully vaccinated can now: 

• Resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations
• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after domestic or international travel

"The new guidance from the CDC outlines that fully vaccinated individuals can now get together with other individuals without a mask," said Dr. Robert Mayo, Chief Medical Officer of Rochester Regional Health. "For now, they still recommend taking precautions like getting tested for COVID-19 if they're experiencing symptoms."  

If you’re vaccinated, are people in your household automatically protected?

The vaccine only helps protect against COVID-19 for the person who gets vaccinated by helping the body build immunity. People within your household who are not vaccinated have not reached maximum protection. 

“Anyone in your household who is not vaccinated and has symptoms of COVID-19 should seek testing,” explained Dr. Laguio-Vila. “If they are positive, they should self-isolate in their residence as recommended by the CDC. If they are negative, that could mean that are negative only at the time of testing.”

What should I do if I’m vaccinated and am exposed to COVID-19?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to quarantine or get testing following an exposure to someone with COVID-19 if they are:

• Fully vaccinated after more than 2 weeks following the receipt of their second dose
• Have remained asymptomatic since their COVID-19 exposure

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should still get tested and stay home and away from others, even if you've been vaccinated. 

How many people need to get vaccinated to reach herd immunity?

Herd immunity means that when enough people are immune to a virus, the virus can no longer spread.

“Herd immunity is an effective way to prevent the spread of the virus, but it can only be safely reached when a majority of a population gets vaccinated,” explained Dr. Laguio-Vila. “The vaccine is a great step in the right direction to returning to a normal way of life.”