CDC: Fully vaccinated people do not have to quarantine after COVID-19 exposure
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People who are fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 do not necessarily have to quarantine following an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, the CDC said Wednesday.
As long as they meet all of the following criteria, quarantine is not necessary, the agency said:
- They are fully vaccinated, and it has been at least 2 weeks since their final dose.
- They are within 3 months of receiving their final dose.
- They have remained asymptomatic since their COVID-19 exposure.
If they have been exposed to COVID-19 and do not meet all of those criteria, they should follow standard CDC guidance, which says that people who have not had COVID-19 within the past 3 months should quarantine for 14 days following an exposure.
This can be shortened to 10 days without testing if the person does not display any symptoms during daily monitoring, or to 7 days with a negative test and no sign of symptoms, according to the CDC.
“Fully vaccinated persons who do not quarantine should still watch for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days following an exposure,” the CDC said. “If they experience symptoms, they should be clinically evaluated for COVID-19, including SARS-CoV-2 testing, if indicated.”
The CDC said quarantine recommendations for vaccinated people will be updated when more data are available, or when more vaccines have been authorized.
The two currently authorized vaccines in the United States are given in two doses either 21 or 28 days apart, but there may soon be a third, more convenient option, with the FDA set to review Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine later this month.
Perspective
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I think the CDC exposure guidance for the fully vaccinated makes sense and is in line with what is recommended for those who have recovered from natural infection. I suspect that as more evidence of the benefit of vaccines accrues that we will see more modification of public health guidance for those who have been vaccinated.
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