COVID-19 Vaccine Benefits For Seniors

Day by day, more individuals are becoming fully vaccinated from COVID-19 – meaning, two weeks have passed since the person’s final round of boosters for the COVID-19 vaccine.  

Full vaccination opens the doors for many of the long-awaited events and activities we’ve all missed. Today, we're sharing the CDC's new guidelines for fully vaccinated people, vaccine benefits, and when it's still best for seniors to follow pandemic precautions.

Guidelines for Fully Vaccinated Seniors and Their Families – Let’s Get Outside!

As of April 27, 2021, the new CDC guidelines lightened some of the recommended restrictions. Once fully vaccinated, seniors and their loved ones can benefit from the following:

• Gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people, no mask required.
• Participate in most outdoor activities without a mask.
• Travel domestically without quarantining upon arrival or return.
• Travel internationally without testing before travel (unless required by the destination) and quarantining when they return to the U.S.

When outdoor gatherings are especially crowded with people, it’s still advised that you wear a mask, but it’s no longer required. When in doubt, the venue will likely have posted signage about their policies for masks.  

All together, these lightened restrictions allow seniors to:

• Socialize more easily with friends and loved ones
• Explore the hobbies that were put on hold during the height of the pandemic
• Visit favorite spaces in their community 
• Get back to activities that lift our spirits, like clubs, exercise classes, and charity work

So, What Should Fully Vaccinated Seniors Still Look Out For?

With these restrictions lifting for fully vaccinated people, we’re feeling a meaningful step toward life after COVID – and it feels more familiar and hopeful by the day. We can keep moving forward by following the other CDC recommendations that help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• When you’re indoors, you can choose to wear a close-fitting mask and try to physically distance as the space allows, even if it’s not required
• Continue to sanitize your hands thoroughly and wash often for 20 seconds
• If you travel, it’s recommended to get a COVID-19 test 3-5 days after travel if you develop symptoms.
• When visiting with people who aren’t vaccinated, wear a mask and try to physically distance. 
• Know where to get a COVID-19 test in the case that you develop symptoms.

Looking Ahead – COVID-19 Guidelines and the Importance of Vaccination for Seniors

Like many of the other vaccines for seniors, COVID-19 vaccines help seniors stay healthy and prevent against complications that could impact the daily activities that they enjoy. 

Studies show that the vaccine is a safe and effective way to reduce the worst outcomes of COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t completely eliminate the change of you getting COVID, but it does help prevent against more serious symptoms and aftereffects.

That means we can get back to doing what we love, like sharing time in your community with others, revisiting hobbies that bring us joy, and also inviting the people we care about into our own homes to visit.  

And that’s something we can all celebrate!