During a Feb. 11 interview with Savannah Guthrie on Today, Fauci discussed life after the vaccine. When it comes to those who have already been vaccinated, like older individuals, Guthrie asked Fauci if they could “go back to their normal lives,” like going to see their kids and their grandkids. “In essence, ultimately yes. The thing you would like to see, Savannah, is if you have two parties vaccinated,” Fauci said. Explaining this further, he said that if two people are both fully vaccinated, they can get together without a mask, hug, and continue “pulling back from restrictions.” And for more insight from the infectious disease expert, Dr. Fauci Says These Are the COVID Symptoms That Don’t Go Away.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Guthrie also asked Fauci if someone at high risk were vaccinated and the other party wasn’t—like a grandmother and a grandchild—could they still gather in the same way as two vaccinated people? Unfortunately, Fauci said he wouldn’t recommend this. “Yeah, then you got to be careful because grandma could still get virus in her nasopharynx, even though the vaccine is preventing her from getting physically ill,” Fauci said. He further explained that the risk then is not to grandma, who is vaccinated, but “to the person who is not vaccinated,” as they could become infected from the viral load being carried by a vaccinated person. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Since it’s still possible that vaccinated people could spread the virus to those who are not yet vaccinated, Fauci said mask wearing will need to be a precaution upheld by everyone for some time. “Until we have the overwhelming majority of people vaccinated and the level of virus is very low, when you’re vaccinated you still—it would be prudent to wear a mask,” he said. As Fauci previously noted in December, 75 percent of Americans need to be vaccinated for the country to reach herd immunity. According to The New York Times, only around 10 percent have received at least one dose so far. And for more mask guidance, If You See This on Your Mask, the FDA Says Toss It Immediately. Being fully vaccinated takes some time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Both COVID vaccines available in the U.S., Moderna and Pfizer, require two doses for full vaccination. Moderna’s two doses are to be given 28 days apart and Pfizer’s two doses are 21 days apart. However, you also have to wait after your second dose to be considered fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, your body takes time to build up its immunity. In the agency’s guidelines, it says that an individual is “fully vaccinated” once it has been two weeks or more since their second dose in a two-dose vaccine series. And for more on the restrictions lifted after your shot, The CDC Says You Don’t Have to Do This Anymore Once You’re Vaccinated.
