Broderick Rhyant, M.D.,
Chief Physician Executive
Eskenazi Health Center Forest Manor
Although the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations began just a few months ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now states that more than half of all American adults have received at least one vaccine dose.
To reach a point where we can get back to something approaching our normal lifestyles again,
researchers have estimated that around 70 to 85 percent of the country needs to be immune to the coronavirus for it to stop spreading through communities then eventually dissipate, and vaccinations will play a key role in achieving that goal. So for those who are fully vaccinated or soon will be, what can they do now that they couldn’t do before, and what should they continue not to do?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that based on what we know now about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had ceased doing because of the pandemic are the following:
• Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
• Visit with unvaccinated people (including children) from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
• Participate in outdoor activities and recreation without a mask, except in certain crowded settings and venues
• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel
For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:
• Take precautions in indoor public settings like wearing a well-fitted mask
• Wear well-fitted masks when visiting indoors with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease
• Wear well-fitted masks when visiting indoors with unvaccinated people from multiple households
• Avoid indoor large-sized in-person gatherings
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• Follow guidance issued by individual employers
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations
As you are aware, recommendations are constantly being updated as we learn more about COVID-19 and vaccines. I encourage you all to continue to be educated and keep up to date with recommendations made by the CDC, Indiana State, and local health departments.
People who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their health care provider immediately. If you are ill with flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, please call your health center or clinic before coming to your appointment. If you are an Eskenazi Health patient, please call 317.880.7666 before coming to your appointment. Health care professionals are available 24/7 to answer questions on symptoms and direct you to the most appropriate care. It is important to first call before arriving at Eskenazi Health.
