Updated May 7, 2021

CDC: What You Can Do Once You Have Been Fully Vaccinated

Please note that the following CDC guidelines are changing regularly. Visit cdc.gov for the most up-to-date information.

  • “Indoor visits between fully vaccinated people who do not wear masks or physically distance from one another are likely low risk.”
  • “Unvaccinated people can visit with fully vaccinated people indoors, without anyone wearing masks, with a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
  • So, if you’re vaccinated you can be unmasked around an unvaccinated, low-risk family member. However, please note, even if someone is low risk, that doesn’t necessarily mean there is NO risk; they can still end up in the hospital from COVID19.
  • “If any of the unvaccinated people or their household members are at increased risk of severe COVID-19, all attendees should take pre-cautions.”
  • You need to be careful if you’re vaccinated and visiting an unvaccinated older adult, pregnant friend, or someone with underlying medical conditions.
  • “If unvaccinated people come from multiple households, there is a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among them. Therefore, all people involved should take precautions.” Individual risk between two unvaccinated people from two households is still high. As a rule of thumb, everyone still needs to be careful when mixing households.
  • “All people, regardless of vaccination status, should avoid medium- or large-sized in-person gatherings and to follow any applicable local guidance restricting the size of gatherings.”

1. Consider the risk

Unless you have been vaccinated, the safest recommendation is for the most vulnerable people to stay home if they can. This includes grandparents over 60 and people with chronic illnesses.

Meaningful connections are very important, but seeing a loved one means you’ll interact with people you haven’t seen in weeks who’ve spent their isolation in a different environment than you.

You have to decide whether that risk is worth it to you.

Risk of grandparents passing COVID-19 to the baby:

There is some risk that this could happen but it is low, given that when they visit, grandparents wear a mask, wash their hands, and are asymptomatic. If you want to be extremely conservative, you can ask grandparents to quarantine themselves from meeting other people for 14 days prior to visiting the baby.

Risk of family passing COVID-19 to the grandparents:

This is probably the greater risk, but it is also reasonably low if all people – 2 years and older – wear a mask, wash their hands, and are asymptomatic. If you want to be extremely conservative, you can have your family quarantine themselves from meeting other people for 14 days prior to visiting with the grandparents.  For shorter quarantine information, click here.

2. Discuss the plan

Discuss and acknowledge the risk involved.

  • Have you been staying home and limiting your exposures?
  • Have you had to work daily in environments that could expose other people to the virus?

If the answer to the second question is yes, a virtual visit would probably be best.

3. Follow the safest protocol

There’s no way to ensure total safety. But there are steps you can take to keep the risk as low as possible.

  • Be well. Make sure no one is sick when they plan to visit, whether that means a runny nose, fever or stomach ache — any form of illness.
  • Wear masks. Keep it on for the duration of the visit, if you can.
  • Wash your hands. As soon as you meet, wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water.
  • Greet without touch. Try not to greet with a kiss or hug.
  • Keep your distance. When possible keep at least six feet of distance.
  • Meet outdoors. Meet at a park or garden where you can stay safely socially distance yourselves from other groups (not in your party).

Grandparents may want to re-up their vaccinations, particularly against the flu (seasonally in the fall/winter), whooping cough (can be done year round) and pneumonia (can be done year round).

For additional counseling, please call the office for a telemedicine visit with your doctor.