December brought good news on the coronavirus pandemic front, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use for COVID-19 vaccines from companies Pfizer and Moderna.
Elderly and others in high-risk groups should be able to get vaccinated early in 2021, which is exciting news for those that you care for, as they will be able to resume the activities they enjoy in due time. But
when will it be possible to return to a more normal life after being vaccinated? Centers Choice Home Care has some helpful advice from the experts.
Do Not Rush Back Too Quickly
The most important thing to note is that both vaccines currently on the market require a second dose (Pfizer’s is 21 days after the first dose; Moderna’s is 28 days after). It’s believed that around 10 days after the second dose, you will be as immune as you are going to be, which is around 95%. Prior to that point, you still have a decent risk for infection, so it’s still important to follow precautions as you lead up to that date of optimal immunity.
Don’t Throw Away Your Mask
If you are among a group that is vaccinated before most others, it will still be important to social distance and wear your mask. That is because it’s not yet known whether those who are vaccinated can still spread the virus to others if they are a carrier. Just because you might not get sick doesn’t mean that you can’t get others sick.
What Will Be Safer?
Many epidemiologists say they would feel safer changing precautious behavior once 70% of the population is vaccinated, which it hoped to occur sometime in the late spring or early summer. In the meantime, seeing family and friends—even indoors—would be okay if they’re vaccinated as well. As for public gatherings, you’ll want to keep an eye on the vaccination rate in your area, as those statistics are likely to vary depending on where you live and the willingness for the general population to be vaccinated.
To learn more about Centers Choice Home Care and all the services they offer, visit CentersChoice.com.
