With coronavirus vaccines being distributed since the end of the past year, more and more people are getting vaccinated. At the moment, the focus of the vaccination program is at-risk groups including healthcare workers, older adults, and people with existent health conditions. In the coming months, other people will also be likely to get the vaccine.
As a result, many people are asking questions regarding recommended preventive measures after getting the vaccine. So far, the majority assumes that all of the approved vaccines can safeguard from the virus. While this is true as shown by the results of the final phase of clinical trials, there are a number of things to keep in mind before getting a sense of security.
According to research, vaccinations for all infections take a certain period of time to be fully effective and trigger an immune response that can protect from a certain pathogen. Therefore, the coronavirus vaccine also takes an average of twenty days to build up immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
In addition, nearly all of the vaccines used currently including Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna require two doses in order to be fully effective. Until a person has received both of the doses, which are usually given with time in between, going out and meeting people is not recommended.
This applies specifically to those who belong to at-risk groups as they may catch the infection by doing so. Secondly, while the vaccination can stop the virus from infecting, vaccinated people are still able to transmit it to others.
Though more investigation is needed on the matter, it is overall unsafe to meet even after getting vaccinated. Similarly, meeting other people who have had the vaccination is not recommended.
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Currently, the distribution patterns may result in older adults being vaccinated while younger adults and children may not be able to get the vaccine for at least for weeks. In the meantime, try not to visit friends or relatives even if they have had the vaccine.
During any plans or gatherings, do not stay for a long time and keep the visit as short as possible. Also, do not forget to stay at a safe distance and take all the other preventive measures suggested by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as well.
For those who are arranging a meet-up, it is better to inform the guests about following guidelines as well as avoiding the gatherings if having symptoms of coronavirus infection beforehand.
Prior to the vaccine approval and distribution, many people used test results as a way to ensure no attendee at a certain event has the coronavirus infection. In most cases, this step only provided a false sense of security and did not actually guarantee safety.
With vaccinations, the risk of having and spreading the infection remains unchanged. At best, they can be used to get a sense of security. However, they do not ensure that a person will not transmit or get the virus.