Public Health

CDC: Quarantining After Vaccination Is Not Mandatory

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released updated guidance regarding clinical considerations for the use of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19.1 The guidelines, created around mRNA vaccines, were updated prior to the approval of Johnson and Johnson’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. However, the guidelines do address single-dose series in the recommendations.

The CDC recommends that, in vaccinated persons who have been exposed to suspected or confirmed COVID-19, quarantining is not necessary if the following criteria are met:1

  1. The vaccinated person must be fully vaccinated. It must be at least 2 weeks from receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series or the one dose in a single-dose series.
     
  2. It must be within 3 months following receipt of the last dose.
     
  3. The vaccinated person must be asymptomatic following COVID-19 exposure.

 

Individuals not meeting this criteria must adhere to quarantine guidelines following exposure. This is defined as individuals in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.2 Close contact includes being within 6 ft for a time of 15 min or more, providing home care to someone with COVID-19, direct physical contact, sharing utensils/food/beverages, or direct exposure to respiratory droplets.2 The recommended quarantine time is 14 days from the last contact with the infected individual.2

While the risk of COVID-19 transmission from a vaccinated individual to an unvaccinated individual is unknown, the CDC issued these recommendations for several reasons. Vaccination prevents symptomatic COVID-19, and symptomatic or presymptomatic transmission are believed to play a greater role in transmission when compared with asymptomatic transmission.1 Additionally, avoiding unnecessary quarantine may provide both individual and societal benefits that outweigh the risk of unknown transmission.1 

This recommendation to waive quarantine in persons with vaccine-derived immunity matches the recommendation to waive quarantine in persons who have natural immunity developed from a previous coronavirus infection.1

Additionally, the CDC released updated interim public health recommendations for fully vaccinated persons on March 8, 2021.3 The definition of "fully vaccinated" is the same as listed above (2 weeks from final vaccination dose). 

Fully vaccinated people can3:

  1. Visit indoors, without a mask or social distancing, with other individuals who are also fully vaccinated.
     
  2. Visit indoors, without a mask or social distancing, with members of a single household who have not yet been vaccinated but are at low risk for developing severe COVID-19.
     
  3. Refrain from quarantining if exposed to an individual with known or suspected COVID-19 (as seen above).

The CDC emphasizes that fully vaccinated individuals must continue to take precautions when out in public including wearing masks, practicing social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and getting tested if they experience COVID-19 symptoms.3 

 

—Audrey Amos, PharmD

References

  1. Interim clinical considerations for use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated February 10, 2021. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html
  2. When to quarantine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated February 11, 2021. Accessed March 1, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html
  3. Interim public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated March 8, 2021. Accessed March 9, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html