Question: In anticipation of a big family gathering in a state with a lot of non-vaxxers (including members of my family!) and a high occurrence of the new variants, how cautious should we be?  Should those of us who are vaccinated be wearing masks, given the “others” who don’t believe in masks OR vaxxes?  How at risk are all of us?

Answer:  While vaccinations are highly effective, they are not 100% effective. I think you are right to be concerned about being in a big gathering with a lot of unvaccinated individuals who will not themselves be wearing masks.  If it were me, I’d wear a mask in indoor settings. I would likely forgo the mask in outdoor settings, unless the setting was very crowded or an unvaccinated cousin was a close talker. 🙂 Remember, it’s the 3Cs– crowded places, close contact settings, closed spaces– that carry the most risk of transmission.  Again, your risk as a vaccinated individual of contracting COVID is minimal, but in the situation you’ve described, I’d take precautions to further protect myself, including by wearing a mask.