Still, there are questions. Lots and lots of questions. Here, we answer them with the help of experts from Cleveland Clinic.
How protected am I after I’ve gotten my first COVID-19 vaccine?
If your shot was the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are fully protected after a two-week period, according to the CDC. But one shot of a two-dose series like Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccine does not guarantee full protection, according to Cleveland Clinic. You need to wait at least two weeks after the second shot to be fully protected. Those two weeks may drag by, but it’s essential that you still take all precautions during that period, such as avoiding big crowds, regularly washing your hands and wearing a mask. Why two weeks? It can take about that long for your body to build up immunity against the virus that causes COVID-19. That means it’s possible to contract COVID-19 before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine didn’t have enough time to work.
Do I need to wear a mask if I’ve been fully vaccinated?
Fully vaccinated people don’t have to wear masks around each other, according to Cleveland Clinic infectious disease specialist Kristin Englund, M.D. “If you and one other person have been fully vaccinated or a small group has been, you don’t have to wear masks anymore when you’re indoors,” she says. “That’s going to lead to a lot more freedom and a lot more ability to see people smile—and we’ve all been missing that. But keep in mind that the whole group has to be fully vaccinated, and it’s been at least two weeks since everyone’s last vaccine.” If you’re around non-vaccinated people, wear a mask. Even though you’re fully vaccinated, Englund says, you’re not superhuman; you still need to mask up to protect yourself from the many unknowns, including in these situations:
In any health care setting. “As you enter a hospital or health care provider’s office, you don’t know the health status of the person who might be walking or sitting next to you,” Englund says. “That person could be at high risk for getting COVID-19. So we certainly don’t want to put people in health care settings at risk.”Grocery stores, sporting events, other public places. “When you’re going out into public, just because you’re fully vaccinated doesn’t mean that you’re completely safe. You’re going to be interacting with a lot of different people, so you’ll absolutely need to continue to wear your masks in those settings,” Englund says.
If I’m fully vaccinated, do I have to quarantine if I’m exposed to COVID-19?
“Another break for those of us who’ve been fully vaccinated, and yet another reason to get fully vaccinated, is that if you do happen to get exposed to someone who has COVID-19, you don’t have to quarantine anymore,” says Englund. “And if you don’t have symptoms, you can certainly go about your daily business.” If you do have symptoms, quarantine and get tested.
Is it OK to visit my unvaccinated grandkids?
“Your grandchild most likely hasn’t been vaccinated yet. But as long as you’re fully vaccinated and you’re keeping your interactions together limited to a small group that’s from the same household, you can now see your grandchild without having to wear a mask,” says Englund.
What’s a safe way to gather outside?
Whether you’re dining alfresco or exercising, being outside feels good and can lessen your risk of infection or transmission, compared with being indoors. But even if you’re with your “pod” of other vaccinated people, there is no way to ensure a zero risk, which is why it’s still important to avoid crowds and always wear a mask if it’s difficult to stay 6 feet away, even when exercising.
How to dine outside safely:
Groups should be seated at least 6 feet apart from one another.If there’s a tent, make sure one side is open or rolled up.Park your own car; if valet parking is the only option, leave windows open for 15 minutes after returning to your car.
Can I wash my mask in alcohol or mouthwash?
Soaking your mask in mouthwash or alcohol is not an effective way to clean it, Cleveland Clinic says. Mouthwash doesn’t have enough alcohol to sanitize your masks and soaking your mask in alcohol is not recommended, says Cleveland Clinic family medicine physician Neha Vyas, M.D. Most cloth face masks are durable and can hold up in the washing machine. If you have a more delicate mask or if the instructions say to wash it by hand, use laundry detergent and hot or warm water. Scrub the mask for 30 to 60 seconds, rinse it and let it air-dry. Be careful not to overuse detergent so there’s no residue left on the mask, which can irritate your skin. If you wear disposable surgical masks, throw them away after every use.
Will taking supplements help me avoid getting COVID-19?
The ferocious and unpredictable spread of COVID has us grasping for effective prevention and treatment. Many have turned to supplements and vitamins typically used to treat the common cold in the hope of decreasing their chance of infection or reducing their symptoms. But evidence is scant and mixed, with research ongoing. A May 2020 study published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health concluded that vitamin D may help prevent COVID only for those already deficient in that vitamin. A more recent study published in JAMA on treating symptoms with zinc and vitamin C found them to be ineffective in decreasing the duration of symptoms. “Based on this study, neither high-dose zinc nor ascorbic acid can be recommended to reduce symptoms of COVID-19,” says the study’s co-principal investigator Milind Desai, M.D., director of clinical operations at the Heart Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
When will everyone be vaccinated?
When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, it was hard to imagine it lasting this long, or how it might end. The “when” part of the equation depends on a number of variables. As we’ve seen, because of manufacturing and distribution demands, not everyone has been getting the vaccine at the same time, but rather in phases. Each state has been making the final decision of who goes first. President Joe Biden has said he hopes that vaccination will be open to all by May 1.
Does my vaccine contain live COVID virus?
No. While COVID vaccines work differently, no one gets injected with the virus. Instead, the vaccine uses a lab-created messenger RNA (mRNA) that instructs the body to make a harmless version of the coronavirus’s spike protein, says Rachel Scheraga, M.D., critical care specialist at Cleveland Clinic. “This provokes an immune response and triggers your body to produce antibodies, which can fight off the real coronavirus, if you’re exposed to it,” she explains.
Is the vaccine safe?
Although the COVID vaccine is new, scientists have actually been studying mRNA vaccines for decades on other viruses like SARS, MERS, flu, Ebola and Zika. Thanks to vaccines, highly infectious diseases like smallpox, whooping cough, polio and measles, which affected untold numbers of infants, children and adults in the U.S., are no longer the major threats they once were. The typical timeline for a vaccine is usually 10-plus years (prior to the COVID vaccine, the mumps vaccine was the fastest ever developed, at four years). So, how did the COVID vaccine arrive at record speed? The race against this global pandemic sparked an all-hands-on-deck worldwide cooperation of medical experts and distributors, with emergency authorization enabling faster review of the vaccine’s safety data. The vaccine has, according to the CDC, “gone through the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.”
Will I have side effects from taking the vaccine?
Side effects, which everyone experiences differently (some people never get any), are a sign that your body is mounting antibodies to fight the virus. More common after the second injection, there may be pain and swelling in the arm, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, chills or low-grade fevers, which usually subside within 24 to 36 hours.
Sources
Cleveland Clinic: “What Can You Do After You’re Fully Vaccinated” Cleveland Clinic: “Some of the Most Pressing Coronavirus Myths, Debunked” Cleveland Clinic: “Should I Wear a Face Mask When Running Outdoors?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “How to Protect Yourself & Others” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?” Kaiser Health News: “Poll: Nearly Half of American Adults Now Want to COVID Vaccine—ASAP” Harvard Health Publishing: “Why Are mRNA Vaccines So Exciting?” BMJ Journals: “Vitamin D and SARS-CoV-2 virus/COVID-19 disease” JAMA Network: “Effect of High-Dose Zinc and Ascorbic Acid Supplementation vs. Usual Care on Symptom Length and Reduction Among Ambulatory Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection”
