The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) granted emergency use authorization to a pair of two-dose COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) in December 2020 and a one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in February 2021. As of May 3, more than 245 million vaccines have been administered, and at least 25 percent of people in the majority of states have been fully vaccinated. These people can now experience some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy, but they still need to take precautions to protect themselves and others.

Wearing Masks

Fully vaccinated people can attend indoor and outdoor gatherings with other vaccinated people without having to wear masks or adhere to social distancing recommendations. They can also gather with unvaccinated people (e.g., visiting family) without following guidelines as long as there is nobody in the house at an increased risk of severe symptoms associated with COVID-19.

Restrictions for large outdoor events have been handled differently among states and organizers. MLB teams including the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants require fans to show proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of a game to sit in the stands. Capacity is also limited to 20 percent. Conversely, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks haven't strictly enforced mask-wearing or social distancing. The former had more than 38,000 fans at its home opener at Globe Life Field in Arlington on April 5.

The CDC also recommends that vaccinated people continue to wear masks when using public transportation. In addition, people should still get tested for COVID-19 if they exhibit any symptoms after getting vaccinated.

Travel Requirements

While vaccinated people still need to wear masks on domestic flights to protect others, they do not need to be tested for COVID-19 before leaving or after arriving at select destinations. They also don't need to quarantine. When traveling internationally, vaccinated people only need to be tested if their destination requires it. They do, however, need to show a negative test result to return to the US, but they don't need to quarantine. Moreover, fully vaccinated international travelers still need to get tested within three days of arriving in the US.

Variants and Their Impact on Restrictions

The COVID-19 variants (B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, B.1.427, and B.1.429) are the main impediments to fully vaccinated people completely returning to pre-pandemic normalcy. While early indications suggest the vaccines are effective against some of these variants, the CDC is still working to determine how they respond to each variant in addition to the efficacy of the vaccines in preventing the spread of the virus. Moreover, the CDC is still studying how long the vaccines will be effective at protecting against COVID-19.