Mask On, Mask Off

With the vaccine available to anyone now, a lot of people have been scheduling their appointments as soon as possible. However, even after taking the vaccine, it would still be safe to wear masks to protect yourself and others. But that’s not what the CDC stated on Thursday.

Director of the US CDC announced that people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks, indoors or outdoors, or even practice social distancing. In addition, those who are fully vaccinated can now participate in outdoor activities with small or large groups. According to Dr. Rochelle Walenksy, “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”

This may seem like good news, but there are still a few drawbacks for those who want to get rid of their masks. First of all, guidance on wearing masks in certain places and services, like wearing masks on buses or inside restaurants, still stands, so those rules need to be followed even after being vaccinated. These guidelines are subject to change as more research is conducted. Dr. Walensky also stated that the virus can also be somewhat unpredictable, so if fully vaccinated people begin to develop symptoms then they should put their masks on.

But what do you think? Should fully vaccinated people begin to shed their masks? Or should they still be cautious when participating in social gatherings? In these times and conditions it would be better to be safe than sorry.