Weekly Update for 5.14.21

Fully Vaccinated? CDC says you can ditch the mask in many situations.

The Centers for Disease Control made a big announcement yesterday: Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in many indoor and outdoor activities – large or small -- without wearing a mask or physically distancing.

What changed?

A growing number of studies have shown three big things:

• Our vaccines are working in the real world. Studies show them to be >90% effective in real-world settings in preventing mild and severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
• Our vaccines have proven to be effective against the variants currently circulating in the country.
• If you’re vaccinated, you’re less likely to spread the virus. 

The science is clear: if you are fully vaccinated, you are protected, and you can start doing the things you stopped doing because of the pandemic.

Caveats? Surely there are caveats.

Yes, there are exceptions.

• You should still wear a mask in healthcare settings like hospitals, long-term care facilities, and doctors’ offices.
• If you travel, you will still be required to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation, and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. 
• Fully vaccinated people should still wear well-fitted masks where required by local rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

But how will I know if the people around me have been vaccinated? 

Well here's the beauty of vaccination - according to the CDC, if you are vaccinated, you are protected from those who may not be.

Even if you are one of the rare "break-through" cases and you get infected after being fully vaccinated, the vaccine offers excellent protection against getting really sick.

What do you mean by "fully vaccinated?"

In general, you're considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after your 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.
 

Learn More:

CDC: When You've Been Fully Vaccinated

Mobile Vaccination Clinics in Chatham County

The Chatham County Health Department has partnered with CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) to offer pop-up vaccination clinics in different locations around Chatham County.

Visit savannahvax.coreresponse.org for a schedule of vaccination clinics - more dates and locations will be added soon. 

Q: I am young, healthy, and rarely get sick. Why should I get a COVID-19 vaccine?

A: While you may be healthy, COVID-19 is still a powerful, highly-transmissible virus. You could become infected and transmit the virus to others who could suffer critical effects. It’s also been shown that many young people who get COVID-19 have long-lasting complications from the infection.