On May 13, 2021, the CDC issued important updates to its
guidance regarding fully vaccinated individuals. The
updated guidance now states that individuals who are
"fully vaccinated" against
COVID-19 (i.e., two weeks have passed from receipt of the
second dose in a 2-dose series, or from receipt of a single-dose
vaccine) no longer need to wear a mask or practice social
distancing in any setting, except where required by
federal, state, or local laws, rules, or regulations.
The CDC's guidance further states that fully vaccinated people
can generally refrain from testing and quarantining following
exposure to COVID-19, as long as they are asymptomatic. Fully
vaccinated individuals with no COVID-19-like symptoms and no known
exposure can also be exempted from routine testing, if
feasible. By contrast, the CDC guidance states that
individuals who are not "fully vaccinated" should
continue to take prevention measures.