Is the CDC guidance for fully vaccinated people adequate?

“It seems that some protection starts to appear about 2 weeks after the first dose, and then this increases over time. But after a longer time – we aren’t yet sure how long – this protection is likely to start to fade again. So you will need a second booster dose to make sure your immune system can consolidate this protection for the long term. The benefits of the second dose start to appear after about 1 to 2 weeks.”

I think by now this is general knowledge.

One can still get Covid-19 if one is fully vaccinated.
Apparently one does not get very sick though.

In the Netherlands (and I think I’ve seen it in America too) it is still advised to wear masks in public buildings, public transport, and shops, and we still keep our distance to others.

To me these things are common sense.
Better safe than sorry.

The CDC cares that people don’t get seriously ill or die.

Every year the CDC let’s the flu kill an average of 35,000 Americans, and they don’t ask Americans to take extra precautions unless the number is estimated to be much higher. Millions of people every year get sick with the flu and it isn’t fun. They miss work, a few days of misery.

Actually, I wish the CDC would tell Americans to alter their behavior during flu season more readily. The most important thing they push is the vaccine, It’s not often they ask Americans to distance, not shake hands, etc.

I hope they keep masks on commercial flights as a standard, or at minimum that airlines request masks. When I flew Japan Air ten years ago we were all given masks. Optional to wear them. Airplanes and cruise ships is how the viruses spread far and wide.

People have been listening to the scientific information and making decisions before the CDC makes recommendations. We can use common sense to try to keep ourselves safe. Masks will lower your risk and the risk for others. People in a group decide what risk they want to take.

@JLeslie I don’t think the CDC “lets” people die from the flu. They come out with a new flu shot every year based on their scientific evidence of what strain will be going around that particular time. And they push people to get the shot. They advertise it non stop around here.
If they can’t get people to wear a mask because of Covid that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, do you actually think anyone would have worn a mask for 35,000 killed by flu?
People need to take responsibility for themselves.

Does the CDC not also let people know that it’s still a good idea to limit contact with others?

@Zaku That may be, but then let’s look at what they are saying. Vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks or social distance. But it’s a good idea. Sort of conflicting messages. To me, that would indicate a need to adjust your guidance. Maybe rephrase it so you aren’t sending mixed messages.

The “mixed message” in my county is that only 36.8% of the people are vaccinated for COVID-19 and you don’t have to wear a mask in public like a store. I go to the market and 98% of the people are not wearing masks ( I’m part of the 2 percent wearing a mask). The non-vaccinated are not wearing masks and giving a “mixed message”
.

@seawulf575 I don’t think it’s conflicting. It just seems to me like a distinction between something that is very important and really should always be done, and something that’s just better to do. I don’t have any problem understanding that distinction, but maybe many people do?

I’m not spending my time studying and criticizing the wording of CDC sites, though. If it’s confusing to you, then you’re probably correct that it could be worded more clearly. You could write to them with suggestions pointing out which wording seems off to you.

@Zaku Apparently it was confusing to the 3 Democrats that came down with Covid too.

@chyna I agree with most of your points, but also realize that we easily could do more during flu season to save thousands of lives and millions from illness by reminding people how virus is transmitted. The vaccine sometimes misses the mark, bad guesses for what strains will be here. Even when it’s good guessing we still could do more. Just minor things, I’m not talking about a huge shut down.

The CDC, FDA, WHO, they watch illness move across the globe constantly, and hospitalizations and deaths, and when the deaths are high enough they do something. If the death toll is not high enough most people are never aware new strains are killing some people.

@Zaku Exactly right. No one in the CDC is saying the threat is over.

I thought this image was kind of funny. I’m not sure if there’s some reckoning being done with the fact that the vaccine may not be as effective as initially advertised, but the messaging around here is stressing the fact that the people who are still being hospitalized and dying from it are unvaccinated.

@Demosthenes No doubt that unvaccinated people are more likely to get the disease. But if vaccinated people get it, which they apparently are doing so, can’t they spread it to others as well?

@seawulf575 Yes, breakthrough cases can spread the virus, but less likely to, because they shed less virus. They are even less likely to spread it to other vaccinated people.

And less likely to get a severe case or die from it.

@JLeslie But the CDC guidance is that they don’t need masks or to social distance. So if they can spread it, doesn’t that mean they could get others sick? Even unvaccinated people?

The three probably got COVID-19 from un-vaccinated GOP members of the Texas Congress . . . . . duh !
That were unmasked

@seawulf575 The CDC recommendation is that vaccinated people don’t have to wear a mask if they want to take the small risk. The guidance is not that they shouldn’t wear a mask. Wearing a mask would be extra protection for everyone.

The severe illness is happening in the unvaccinated, except for a very small percentage. A year ago we masked to help protect each other. Now, there is a vaccine to protect ourselves, so the unvaccinated are choosing to be more at risk.

Even still, situations with people in close proximity we are taking extra precautions like masks on commercial flights, which I completely agree with.

The CDC looks at the overall health of the nation. More normalcy helps in other ways.

I can tell you where I live several people have said they are masking again in supermarkets and being a little more careful since cases have consistently gone up over the last three weeks in the counties here. Even vaccinated people, because since we are older here and a lot of people have compromised immunity there is more possibility of lower immunity after the vaccination.

^Well said.

@JLeslie Let’s get to the root of the issue. CDC guidance says nothing about vaccinated persons being willing to take a small risk. Here is a direct statement from this citation:
“Fully vaccinated people can:

Resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance
Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel and from self-quarantine after travel
Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States
Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings
Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic
Refrain from routine screening testing if feasible
For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:

Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations
People who are immunocompromised should be counseled about the potential for reduced immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines and to follow current prevention measures (including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others staying they don’t live with, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces) to protect themselves against COVID-19 until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider.”

Since we just had 3 Politicians that left Texas to go to Washington DC that came up positive for Covid-19, we can see that they were not wearing masks, not social distancing, they resumed domestic travel, did not test before flying and those that did not test positive because of symptoms did not quarantine. They entirely followed the CDC guidelines. It seems those guidelines did not stop the spread of the disease.
That is the crux of my question. The CDC guidelines for vaccinated people didn’t stop the spread of the disease and may even have resulted in others getting sick. You are talking about unvaccinated people and how this impacts them. What if those politicians that had Covid have come in contact with unvaccinated persons and spread it to them? Is that acceptable guidance?

Was there some article stating that vaccinated people with Covid infection will not expel a lot of viral particles?

The CDC is WRONG!!!

The only thing that the vaccines do, even when both vaccines have been given, is protect those who have had the vaccines and who subsequently catch the virus they are far less likely to be affected badly and are less likely to die from it or need hospitalisation or ventilation.

The vaccines do NOT prevent people from catching the virus and that is why masks should STILL be worn when in places which have many people and where distancing is not possible.

I live in the UK and people who have had the double vaccine have still caught Covid-19 but it has been extremely rare that they have been affected seriously or have died.

The world MUST learn that at present there is NO cure for this virus and it is constantly mutating, which is normal for viruses. Unfortunately this virus appears to be mutating quicker and more vehemently than most.

It is very likely that this virus may well become another flu and people will need to be vaccinated at least once a year as precautionary measures.