So, you’ve gotten the vaccine—great news! You’ve taken a big step to protect yourself and others against COVID-19.
Getting the vaccine may give you some more flexibility on how you can interact with other people while keeping everyone safe.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new guidelines on May 13 for fully vaccinated people. People are considered fully vaccinated once two weeks have passed since their final COVID-19 vaccine. For example, if you’ve received a two-dose vaccine (such as Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech), you’re fully vaccinated two weeks after your second dose. If you received a single-dose vaccine (such as Janssen/Johnson & Johnson), you’re fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving your single dose.
It’s important to remember that these guidelines apply to non-healthcare settings. So, when you visit a Mercy Health location, we will still ask you to participate in safety steps—such as masking, handwashing and distancing—as part of our commitment to the health of all who enter our facilities.
Things you can do if you’re fully vaccinated
- Return to activities without wearing masks or physically distancing. The exceptions are if these practices are required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations. You must also continue to follow requirements made by local businesses and workplaces.
- Resume domestic travel without testing or quarantining before or after.
- For international travel, you don’t need to get a test before leaving the United States (unless required by your destination) or quarantine after returning.
- You don’t need to get a test or quarantine after a known exposure to COVID-19 if you have no symptoms.
What you should keep doing, even if you’re vaccinated
For now, it is recommended that fully vaccinated people continue to:
- Get tested if you have any COVID-19 symptoms.
- Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine and how to get one, visit our website.
