Mask Updates!

You may have already heard, but the CDC recently updated their mask wearing guidance for those who are fully vaccinated. This post will review the guidelines, define what it means to be fully vaccinated and go over other considerations.

Latest Updates from the CDC…

  • “If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.

  • Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

  • If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine.”

What does it mean to be fully vaccinated? Per the CDC….

  • “In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: 

    • 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or

    • 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

    If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.”

How come New Jersey still hasn’t ended their mask mandate?

  • While the CDC has essentially reversed the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people, the state of NJ has yet to do so. This is likely because we do not have full data on what will happen to cases as fully vaccinated people no longer wear masks or social distance.

  • In addition, given the density of NJ, we assume that Governor Murphy is erring on the side of caution given how quickly cases can rise in a dense areas if things do not go as planned.

  • That being said, the CDC’s guidance is a sign of hope and a step in the right direction. Overall, we are seeing case loads significantly decrease (down to the order of 10’s in NJ). With more Americans getting vaccinated, we would expect national numbers to continue to trend downward and stay there—we hope it is matter of time before things return to “normal.”

Thanks for checking out this blog post. If you’re interesting in signing up with our practice give us a call at 973-965-8409!

-Dr. Jason Kahn