Take off the masks! – Martin Lee/REX/REX/SIPA
Take off the masks! Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks, health officials said on Thursday, announcing to update their recommendations.
“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, small or large, without wearing a mask or respecting physical distancing,” said Thursday Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for the Prevention and Control of Diseases ( CDC), the country’s main federal public health agency.
Recommendation in transport, stations and airports
However, the CDC recommends that vaccinated people continue to wear a mask in transport (planes, buses, trains …) as well as in airports and train stations. Currently, about 35% of the American population, or more than 117 million people, have received the vaccine dose (s) needed (Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is given in a single injection, those from Pfizer and Moderna in two). “We have all waited a long time for this moment when we could find some semblance of normality,” said Rochelle Walensky.
The decision was made in light of scientific studies that showed the vaccines were also effective against asymptomatic infections and circulating variants, she explained. She also pointed out that the few people who get sick despite having been vaccinated were still less contagious.
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