What they’re saying: “If you are fully vaccinated, you are protected, and you can start doing the things that you stopped doing because of the pandemic,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will say at a White House press briefing.
Caveats: The guidance does not apply to those traveling on planes or public transit, health care settings, correctional facilities or homeless shelters.
The CDC responded to the criticism Thursday, saying: “We have a responsibility to make recommendations based on a body of evidence and what the science tells us.” The agency noted that it can now say with confidence:
- The vaccines work in the real world
- The vaccines stand up to the variants
- Vaccinated people are less likely to transmit the virus
The bottom line: “We needed to take the time to review the full body of evidence to get this right, and that’s how we came to this decision,” the CDC said.