The director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says new data suggests people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 don’t catch the virus and can’t spread it.
“Our data from the CDC today suggests that vaccinated people don’t carry the virus, don’t get sick and that it’s not just in clinical trials, but it’s also in real world data,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said, according to KNTV, an NBC affiliate.
Walensky was referring to a new study of nearly 4,000 frontline workers, some of whom were vaccinated while others were not, the station said. “The group tested themselves weekly for COVID-19 infections between December and March.”
“Among fully vaccinated people in the study, there were only three COVID-19 infections detected,” KNTV reported. “Unvaccinated participants logged 161 covid cases, scientific evidence experts say proves fully-vaccinated people are protected in two ways.”
“Essentially vaccines block you from getting and giving the virus,” University of California-San Francisco Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Monica Gandhi told the station. “You can feel safe as a vaccinated person going indoor dining, going to a gym, going to the movies, going to places you did not feel safe before.”
Ghandi suggests safety guidelines can be rewritten based on the new data.
“Now they can rewrite guidelines and say vaccinated people can be around unvaccinated people even without masks and distancing,” said Ghandi. “Not out in public because we don’t know who is vaccinated and who is not, still going to maintain masks and distancing until everyone who wants to get a vaccine can get it.”
But the CDC has not updated its guidance on masks or social distancing. Last month, the agency reiterated that both are still key to stemming the spread of the virus.
“When you wear a mask, you protect others as well as yourself. Masks work best when everyone wears one,” CDC said. “A mask is NOT a substitute for social distancing. Masks should still be worn in addition to staying at least 6 feet apart, especially when indoors around people who don’t live in your household.”
“Masks should be worn any time you are traveling on a plane, bus, train, or other form of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.”
But the CDC said there are times and places people can go without masks. “Masks may not be necessary when you are outside by yourself away from others, or with people who live in your household. However, some areas may have mask mandates while out in public, so please check the rules in your local area (such as in your city, county, or state). Additionally, check whether any federal mask mandates apply to where you will be going.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said, “based on numbers received from the federal government, that Los Angeles will reach 80% vaccine coverage in residents over 16 years old the next 12 weeks,” Deadline reported. “That means by the end of June the county should have achieved the overall the 70-85% immunity — through vaccinations and infections — Dr. Anthony Fauci says is required for herd immunity to the virus.”