So you’ve got both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and wonder what you can do safely?
The general consensus in the medical field is that you can enjoy small gatherings again but that you should continue with a mask and social distance in public.
In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that fully immunized people can collect without a mask with other in-house vaccines. It also states that you can meet unvaccinated people from one household at a time if these people are considered at low risk of COVID-19 infection. In other countries, the direction may change.
Publicly, the CDC recommends that vaccinated people wear a mask, avoid large gatherings and stay separate from others.
Such guidance has not yet been issued by the Turkish Ministry of Health, however, the country states that all citizens must wear masks, adhere to hygiene and social practices regardless of their age. vaccinated or not. Gatherings are not encouraged and invitations are still in place. The ministry says that not everyone will have the same level of protection after receiving the vaccine and it remains up to the individual in society to protect the vulnerable by not going through rules.
It is important to note that a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last dose of the two required vaccines.
Guidance on other activities for vaccinated people remains cautious around the world. The CDC continues to discourage unnecessary travel, for example, and has yet to make a recommendation about going to restaurants or other public places.
When it comes to international travel, the European Union, for example, has proposed “digital green coronavirus certificates” to allow a “safe, accountable and reliable way” for those who have received both vaccines. Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy recently told BBC 1 that Turkey may not require vaccination certificates from foreign tourists in the summer. He said talks were ongoing about lifting negative PCR test requirements for British tourists if the UK continues its routine move with mass vaccination and a downturn in COVID-19 cases.
The CDC and the Turkish Ministry of Health plan to update the guidelines to allow more action as diseases decline and vaccines increase.
One reason to keep your guard up after receiving one dose of a two-dose vaccine is: infection while partial protection establishes the potential for the virus to spread, said Dr. Joshua LaBaer, Director of Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute, speaking to the Associated Press (AP).