After getting a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that it's OK for fully vaccinated people to:

• Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors — without wearing masks or avoiding close contact
• Visit with unvaccinated people from one household who are at low risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 — indoors and without wearing masks or avoiding close contact

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they get their second dose of an mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or two weeks after a single dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

However, vaccinated people should continue to take safety precautions, such as wearing a mask and avoiding close contact (within about 6 feet, or 2 meters) with others, when they are:

• In public
• Visiting with people who are unvaccinated and at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19
• Visiting with people who have an unvaccinated household member at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19
• Visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households

Keep in mind that if you're fully vaccinated, your risk of getting COVID-19 might be low. But if you become infected, you might spread the disease to others even if you don’t have signs or symptoms of COVID-19. This could be dangerous for people who are unvaccinated and at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. People at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 include older adults and people with certain underlying conditions.

• COVID-19 and pets
• Can COVID-19 (coronavirus) spread through food, water, surfaces and pets?

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March 10, 2021 See more Expert Answers