The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is finalizing guidelines aimed at clarifying what Americans have received Covid vaccines-19 it should and should not do, according to two sources of the family agency with its drafting.
The following guidelines, first reported by Politico, are expected to include that fully vaccinated people should be able to gather in small groups with other people who have also been vaccinated. Currently, the CDC does not recommend in-person meetings with the general public, saying that “virtual meeting or with the people you live with is the safest choice.”
Even for people who have been completely vaccinated, other mitigation measures will continue to be recommended, including wearing a mask in public and social distance.
Sources would not specify exactly when this guidance will be released, but one said it will be released when it is completed “by the end of this week”.
At Monday’s White House COVID-19 response conference, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical officer, previewed the guidance, saying that small gatherings of people who are “double-vaccinated” are low-risk – “so low.” so you don’t have to wear a mask to have a good social gathering at home. ”
Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses; Johnson & JohnsonIt will only require one shot. That vaccine received an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration over the weekend and the doses are starting to be given this week.
Guidance comes as the nation is at a crossroads in the fight against the virus. Over the past month, national average daily cases have fallen by more than 50%, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, but this progress has been made. In the last week, data from the CDC indicate that the average number of new cases has increased by almost 2%.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at Monday’s meeting that she was “deeply concerned about a possible change in the trajectory of the pandemic.” Countries across the country, including New York, Massachusetts and Arkansas, are easing COVID restrictions on businesses, adding to fears that the US could drop its guard too soon. On Tuesday, Texas became the third state to cancel its statewide mask mandate in recent days, joining Montana and Iowa.
At the same time, the pace of vaccinations continues to rise, and with the vaccination of more Americans, the need for new guidance on what this safe population can do has increased. Walensky stressed, however, that now is not the time to resume the journey or ignore other safety measures.
“The goal for the first 100 days has always been to make sure we are in a place to get out of this pandemic,” she said. “At 70,000 cases a day, we’re not right now.”