The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first set of public health recommendations for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 Monday.
A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their final dose, which is the time it takes the body to develop the necessary antibodies.
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As of Tuesday, nearly 2 million Floridians were fully vaccinated.
The CDC says those people can gather with other vaccinated people indoors, without wearing a mask or social distancing.
Pam Mahr and her 91-year-old mother are both fully vaccinated. Pam says she was finally able to visit her mom in her long-term care facility and hug her first the first time after almost a year.
“It was pretty amazing. So now it’s the next part of the family,” Mahr says. “It’s a wonderful time.”
The next part of the family will be her seven grandkids, because the CDC says fully vaccinated people can also gather with others who are not yet vaccinated, but are considered low-risk.
“We have not seen the grandchildren since December of 2019, so the countdown is on now,” Mahr says.
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Shirley Hosner and her husband Bud have received both of their shots and will soon see their grandchildren too for the first time in months.
“Just to be together and do things that you do as a family.”
While the new guidelines are a step towards getting back to gathering, there are a few things the CDC has not yet cleared.
“We still have to avoid any unnecessary traveling,” Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Aftab Khan says.
As Dr. Khan explains, the CDC believes increasing travel could add to the number of COVID-19 cases and pose a risk to the majority of the country not yet vaccinated.
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“We know that 10% of the U.S. population is already fully vaccinated,” Dr. Khan says. “I think this guidance will have more relaxation down the road...we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re not there as yet.”
The guidance also says fully vaccinated people don’t need to get a test or quarantine if they are exposed and are showing no symptoms.