CDC: OK for family, other small visits after vaccinations
Masks, distancing still recommended for visits with people from multiple households; Nearly 10% of Americans have gotten one shot, but vulnerable groups still left out in many states, White House says
It may be ok to visit grandma and grandpa: If everyone has been fully vaccinated, the CDC now says visit family or close friends, you don’t need masks and feel free to hug. However, precautions are necessary if you visit a home where anyone who has not been vaccinated lives or is present. The new guidelines were announced in Monday’s White House COVID-19 briefing.
Details are on the CDC website, including a series of graphics that depict the difference between small groups of people who have all been fully vaccinated and small groups when only some have been vaccinated.
Nearly 60 million Americans have gotten at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, but that amounts to less than 10% of the population — a long way from community immunity. There have been around 60,000 new cases of COVID-19 each day in the past week.
Teachers and school staff get priority access to vaccines at pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, which distributes vaccines separate from the supplies distributed via state governments.
Russian operatives and other “bad actors” are promoting vaccine disinformation, specifically attempting to undermine confidence in the US-developed Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, according to the Wall Street Journal. “The Russian outlets were repeating actual news reports but overlooking contrary information about the general safety” of the Pfizer vaccine, in particular, the newspaper reported.
The USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism is hosting a webinar on March 10 about the Coronavirus “Infodemic.”
In Idaho, parents pushed kids to burn their masks in front of the state capitol.
The World Health Organization needs to re-start its investigation into the origins of COVID-19, says the Washington Post editorial board. The editorial sharply criticized the existing WHO panel for not delving deeper into the work of the Chinese government lab that was studying viruses related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Its report is expected next week.
ICYMI: On Friday, the CDC released a study showing that mask mandates and restrictions on indoor dining were strongly associated with reduced COVID-19 cases. Importantly, the impact of opening up indoor dining on deaths was mostly 2-3 months later.
The CDC updated guidelines for vaccination for people with autoimmune and other underlying conditions, spelling out groups who may be at risk for COVID-19 but for whom there is limited vaccine safety data. There also is added guidance for pregnant women.
Stay safe!