SALT LAKE CITY – As the COVID-19 vaccine campaign grows and more Utahns are protected, people wonder when they can gather with loved ones who have already been vaccinated.
Some people over the age of 70 will be vaccinated soon, but is it too early to visit them?
Dr. Emily Spivak, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah Health, said we must act with caution around people who have been vaccinated.
In addition, vaccines prevent that person from becoming symptomatically infected and having severe illness. But researchers do not know how well vaccines prevent asymptomatic infection or the ability of people to spread the virus without knowing they are sick.
Therefore, the best recommendation is to continue to follow local health guidelines.
“We should not change our behavior until we have vaccinated a very large proportion of the population,” Spivak said.
However, we should avoid travel, masks and social distance, the doctor said. But Spivak also admits that many of his loved ones have been extraordinarily isolated for almost a year, and understands that some people will risk approaching.
“If you are going to visit, it should not be between the first and second dose and it should be at least two weeks or later after the second dose,” she said.
This will allow the individual time vaccinated for maximum protection.
If you meet someone who has recently been vaccinated, Spivak said to wear a mask, keep your distance and meet outside if you can.
“Don’t let your guard down completely,” she said. “We still use some of those basic mitigation strategies we talked about to prevent asymptomatic transmission – ideally, wearing masks.”
The vaccines available so far seem to protect against the virus variants that occur in the United States. Although vaccines have a low efficacy against variants, they appear to be very protective against severe diseases and hospitalization.
When you are available for a vaccine, she said it all provides the protection we will need.
“The sooner we can get people to get them, no matter what vaccine is given to them, the sooner we get to the ‘herd immunity’ or enough population that will be protected, that we will slow down the transmission of this virus and maybe get back to normal, “she said.
It is another aspect of this vaccination campaign that requires a lot of patience.
“I think we are going in the right direction. I would like to go faster and more widely, but I am optimistic that we will get there,” Spivak said.
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Jed Boal