Life after Getting the Vaccine?

You’ve gotten the vaccine. Now what?

By now many seniors, health care workers, and retirement home staff, have received the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are among these people, you may be wondering what now? What are you able to do now that you’ve gotten the vaccine? Do you still have to wear a mask? Can you visit with friends? Etc…. The simple answer is, that you still need to follow the state guidelines, including wearing masks, keep a safe distance from others, and limited travel and visiting.

Why?

The efficacy of the vaccine is about 95%. There is still the risk that you can contract the virus and/or pass it along to someone else.

Many people are asking, if you still need to take all the same precautions as before, then what even was the point of getting the vaccine?  Peace of mind.

Recently in the state of Washington it was report that three long term care communities had outbreaks of COVID after their residents had receive the second dosage. It was reported in all but one of the positive case were asymptomatic or mild.  The belief is that the mildness was due to receiving the COVID vaccine.

So, yes, you still need to be careful and cautious. However, you may be a little less stressed about running into the store for some groceries and encountering someone who refuses to wear their mask correctly.

However, you still probably shouldn’t travel, go to a sporting event, or hangout with those outside your household. Massive crowds and traveling are still incredibly risky, vaccinated or not. And as for your elderly and vulnerable loved ones, just because the vaccine and your immune system may protect you from the virus, others can still be at risk.

The more mundane, day to day aspects of life should be much more accessible to you. Eating out at a restaurant, exercising at the gym, or getting your hair done should all be easier and less anxiety filled now. Just make sure to keep on masking, wash your hands, and stay 6ft from others, and you should be doing fine.

To reiterate, stay safe, stay cautious. But at the least, the vaccine can help ease the burden of stress and anxiety that has wormed its way into our everyday life.