Do I still need to wear a mask after getting the COVID-19 vaccine?
Q. Can I stop wearing a mask after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
A. No. For a couple reasons, masks and social distancing will still be recommended for some time after people are vaccinated.
To start, the first coronavirus vaccines require two shots; Pfizer's second dose comes three weeks after the first and Moderna's second dose comes after four weeks. And the effect of vaccinations generally aren't immediate.
People are expected to get some level of protection within a couple of weeks after the first shot. But full protection may not happen until a couple of weeks after the second shot.
It's also not yet known whether the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines protect people from infection entirely, or just from symptoms. That means vaccinated people might still be able to get infected and pass the virus on, although it would likely be at a much lower rate, said Deborah Fuller, a vaccine expert at the University of Washington.
And even once vaccine supplies start ramping up, getting hundreds of millions shots into people's arms is expected to take months.
Fuller also noted vaccine testing is just starting in children, who won't be able to get shots until study data indicates they're safe and effective for them as well.
Moncef Slaoui, head of the U.S. vaccine development effort, has estimated the country could reach herd immunity as early as May, based on the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. That's assuming there are no problems meeting manufacturers' supply estimates, and enough people step forward to be vaccinated.
Q. Is shopping in stores safe during the pandemic?
A. There are ways to reduce risk, but health experts advise avoiding it when possible.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says holiday shopping in crowded stores is a “higher risk” activity and that people should limit any in-person shopping, including at supermarkets.
Instead, the agency recommends shopping online, visiting outdoor markets or using curbside pickup, where workers bring orders to your car.
If you need to enter a store, go during off hours when there will likely be fewer people. Wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet away from others.
Try to spend as little time inside the store as possible, says Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, a public health expert at Cornell University.
“You just want to go in and out,” he says. “Get your shopping done and move on.”
Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when you leave, and then wash your hands with soap and water when you get home.
Retailers have been doing all kinds of things to make shoppers feel safe, but they don't eliminate the risk. Some check shoppers' temperatures at the entrance, for example, but an infected person may not have a fever and can still spread the virus.
The plastic barriers between customers and cashiers also might not block all droplets from an infected person, Weisfuse says.
If the air in a store feels stuffy, he says that's a sign of poor ventilation, and you should leave.