Many people who will be receiving the vaccine have questions about what life might be like as an early vaccinated person in the pandemic. Many people envision ditching their face masks shortly after receiving their second vaccine but even though the vaccines are proven to be 90% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, wearing a mask may still be a requirement.

The biggest reason that masks will still be required is that those who were vaccinated will still have a chance of spreading the virus to other people. Even though you have an immunity to the virus through the vaccine, you could still get infected with COVID-19 virus and spread it. Experts are strongly advising everyone to continue to mask up even after they’ve received the vaccine.

There’s also a very small possibility that with the new versions of the virus, both of the two approved vaccines in the United States may not be completely effective against COVID-19 variants. Some vaccinated people could get infected with these new variants and not develop any symptoms which could cause further spread of the virus.

Continuing to wear face masks will be important with the new variants that have been identified as well as variants that have yet to be identified. Protecting those that are immune-compromised with vaccination is just one step, making sure that there is still a response and regular use of masks can prevent a chaotic response in the wake of early vaccination.

If you are wondering if life will go back to normal without masks – once you receive your vaccination, it is important to temper your expectations and continue to wear mask. This will protect lives and stop the variant strains from spreading. We hope you continue to stay safe and healthy through these unusual times!