Question: At the point where the 3 of us (my husband, adult son and I) are declared immune, having had the vaccine and waited the recommended time after the 2nd one), will it be safe for us to be together without masks or socially distancing?

Answer: There’s a bit of nuance here related to safety for your own health and safety for the health of others.  When it comes to your own health– and that of your husband and son– you can rejoice!  However, when it comes to protecting the health of other non-vaccinated people, you must continue to be cautious and follow best public health practices, including masking and social distancing.

Your Own Health: Once you’ve waited several weeks after your second vaccine dose, your body should have built up strong immunity to protect you against becoming sick with COVID.  We know this based on data from Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials.  With this backdrop, your husband, son, and yourself can be together without masks or social distancing and free from worry that one of you will unwittingly make the other sick.  Yay!   

Other People’s Health: BUT, we still don’t know whether the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines protect against infection and transmission!  This means that it’s possible that one or more of you could unwittingly become asymptomatically infected and spread the virus to others. If that spread reaches someone who has not yet been vaccinated, it could have dire consequences.  This is why it is imperative that people who are vaccinated continue to be cautious and follow public health practices.  As CDC states, “This includes wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, washing hands often, following CDC travel guidance, following quarantine guidance after an exposure to someone with COVID-19, and following any applicable workplace or school guidance, including guidance related to personal protective equipment use or SARS-CoV-2 testing.” For more background on this issue, see our Q&A of 1/11.