The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reiterated that people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear masks in most situations. It, however, added that in some cases, local authorities may impose more stringent measures to protect unvaccinated people.
The new information comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) recently said that everyone, vaccinated or not, should wear masks and take other precautions, following a global surge in infections of the highly contagious Delta variant.
On Monday, Los Angeles County recommended that even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors.
In May, the CDC advised that fully vaccinated Americans could let go of masks in most settings. The agency’s director, Rochelle P. Walensky, said during multiple television appearances Wednesday that local changes to masking and distancing rules were consistent with those guidelines.
It had said that those traveling within the United States do not need to be tested before or after their trip, nor do they need to self-quarantine. According to the CDC, vaccinations are effective in reducing COVID-19 sickness, particularly severe illness and mortality. The report said that the vaccinations minimize the likelihood of people transmitting COVID-19.
The recommendations apply to COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration, including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. It can also be applied to COVID-19 vaccinations that have been approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use. According to the CDC, this includes AstraZeneca/Oxford.
But WHO has a completely different opinion
Following a global rise in the extremely infectious Delta strain cases, the WHO recently reaffirmed long-standing advice that everyone, vaccinated or not, wear masks and take other measures.
It said that masks should be used as part of a comprehensive plan of action to reduce transmission and save lives; wearing a mask alone will not provide effective protection against COVID-19.
Stay safe if COVID-19 is spreading in your community by taking basic measures including physical separation, wearing a mask, keeping rooms properly aired, avoiding crowds, washing your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Examine local guidance in the area where you live and work. Do everything!
