Exciting News for Grandparents!
At last, some uplifting news amid the pandemic! The CDC has declared that individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can now gather in small groups from different households without the need for masks or social distancing. This means that grandparents who have received both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, can finally spend time with their healthy grandchildren, even if the kids haven’t been vaccinated yet.
According to the latest guidance, fully vaccinated individuals may interact with unvaccinated family and friends as long as those individuals are at low risk for severe illness. Additionally, fully vaccinated people can be indoors without masks or social distancing when they are around other fully vaccinated individuals. This marks the first federal public health advice specifically tailored for vaccinated individuals in the U.S. A person is deemed fully vaccinated two weeks after their final vaccine dose.
The CDC’s vaccination tracker shows that over 90 million doses have been administered, with around 59 million people having received at least one dose and more than 30 million fully vaccinated—representing about ten percent of the U.S. population.
“As more Americans get vaccinated, we are accumulating evidence that there are certain activities fully vaccinated individuals can safely engage in,” stated CDC Director Dr. Michelle Thompson during a recent White House briefing.
The CDC outlined that fully vaccinated individuals can: “Gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without masks or social distancing, visit unvaccinated individuals from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 indoors without masks or distancing, and bypass quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic.”
This is monumental news for families who have been separated during the pandemic due to the vulnerability of certain members. For instance, fully vaccinated grandparents can meet indoors with their unvaccinated healthy adult children and their children without masks or distancing, as long as none of the unvaccinated family members are at risk for severe illness. Those considered high risk include individuals over the age of 65 and those with underlying health conditions.
However, the guidance still emphasizes caution for fully vaccinated individuals, encouraging them to avoid medium- and large-sized gatherings. The agency continues to stress the importance of maintaining personal hygiene, including hand washing, wearing masks in public, and adhering to physical distancing measures.
“There are certain activities that fully vaccinated individuals can start to resume now within their homes. Nonetheless, everyone—even those who are vaccinated—should keep following mitigation strategies in public settings,” Thompson added. “As scientific understanding evolves and more people get vaccinated, we will provide updated guidance to help fully vaccinated individuals return to more normal activities.”
For more insights on family gatherings and health, check out this related blog post.
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Summary:
The CDC has announced that fully vaccinated grandparents can visit their healthy grandchildren indoors without masks or social distancing, even if the children are not vaccinated. This guidance marks a significant step in reuniting families after prolonged separation during the pandemic. While fully vaccinated individuals can resume certain activities, they are still advised to maintain safety precautions in public settings.
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