The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidelines about how those who are fully vaccinated can continue to protect themselves and others.
Based on their research into the COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC has determined the vaccines are effective at protecting individuals from getting sick. However, they still advise those who are fully vaccinated to continue taking precautions in public such as wearing a mask, staying six feet away from others and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
Those who are considered fully vaccinated are those who are two weeks after a second dose in the two shot vaccines, like Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines, and two weeks after a single dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
The changes for those who have been fully vaccinated include: they can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated individuals without wearing masks, they can be indoors with unvaccinated individuals from another household without masks unless any of them is at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and finally if they have been exposed to COVID-19, they do not need to stay away or get tested unless they have symptoms.
The CDC knows that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 and especially severe cases of COVID-19 but they are still learning how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus. They are also still learning how well the COVID-19 vaccine is able to keep people from spreading the virus.
When considering how the changes to these CDC guidelines will change the rules at Elizabethtown College, Student Health Liaison Eileen Wagener says that the College will not be seeing any big changes yet. “The point at which COVID-19 safety procedures can be eased will be after a high percentage of people have been vaccinated, which looks like it could be this summer,” Wagener stated.
She continued to say that since it is possible for those who have been fully vaccinated to carry and pass on the COVID-19 virus, therefore those who have been vaccinated still need to follow campus procedures like mask wearing, social distancing, surveillance testing and attempting to limit travel.
At this point, many Etown students and professors have been vaccinated or are in the process of being vaccinated. The Etownian reached out to students via the Jay’s App and asked about individuals’ experiences getting their shot or shots and how their mindset and comfort level about being in public has changed since becoming vaccinated.
Sophomore Cassandra Debacco has the first shot of the Pfizer shot and she says that she had a great experience with getting her vaccine. She was able to get in, get her shot and get out all within about 45 minutes. She also had no symptoms from her first shot other than a sore arm and she was able to schedule the second dose while there for her first. She feels as though the shot has given her more peace of mind and has made her feel less tense on campus. She says she will feel more comfortable participating in activities and seeing more friends upon being fully vaccinated.
First-year Marissa Tuman also received the Pfizer vaccine and says that she went to a site that was run by the National Guard and FEMA that was very organized. The only symptom that she had was a sore arm and bruising at the injection site. She feels more comfortable being around others but will continue wearing a mask.
Senior Madison Lazzelle received both doses of a vaccine and had injection site soreness with her first vaccine but experienced nausea and lightheadedness from the second. She is interning with a local hospice center who provided her with free COVID-19 tests weekly, PPE that was needed for her to stay safe and both doses of the vaccine. She had gotten COVID-19 in December of 2020 and is excited to be less likely to get it again.
Sophomore Samantha Phillips got vaccinated through her nursing assistant job in December and January. The vaccine makes her more comfortable going into COVID-19 rooms while nursing. She said that the first dose went very easily for her while the second, not so much. But she feels as though the experience made her generally more comfortable being around others, even if they were not always following the rules.
Junior Rachel Skwirut received the Pfizer vaccine in January because of her work as an EMT. She said that watching the COVID-19 cases rise in hospitals was nerve racking and that she has been lucky to never run into a PPE shortage. She is more comfortable around family and friends and is happy to be able to visit her sister again.
