07/24/2021
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Should vaccinated people start wearing masks again?
With daily reports of breakthrough infections and the rise of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, vaccinated people may need to take a few more precautions. Here’s what you need to know.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question, most health experts agree that masks remain a wise precaution in certain settings for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated. How often you use a mask will depend on your personal health tolerance and risk, the infection and vaccination rates in your community, and whom you’re spending time with.
While being fully vaccinated protects against serious illness and hospitalization from Covid-19, no vaccine offers 100% protection. As long as large numbers of people remain unvaccinated and continue to spread the coronavirus, vaccinated people will be exposed to the Delta variant, and a small percentage of them will develop so-called breakthrough infections.
Experts agree that if everyone you’re with is vaccinated and symptom-free, you don’t need to wear a mask. But if you are in an enclosed public space where the chances of encountering unvaccinated people is greater, a mask is probably a good idea. That’s because the more opportunities you give the virus to challenge the antibodies you’ve built up, the higher your risk of the virus breaking through the protective barrier generated by your vaccine.
For that reason, the case and vaccination rates of your community are among the most important factors influencing the need for masks. Finally, masking is more important in poorly ventilated indoor spaces than outdoors, where risk of infection is extremely low.
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