What can you do once you're vaccinated against COVID-19? Here’s what experts say

It's a question on everyone's minds: What can you do once you're vaccinated?

Dr. Bob Wachter, the chair of UCSF's department of medicine who has become among the most widely quoted coronavirus experts in the country, shared his response to this question.

Wachter wrote on Twitter that after getting vaccinated, he flew to Florida to visit his parents, ages 85 and 90, and wore two masks (not N95) but no face shield on the plane. He hugged his mother, who is vaccinated, but not his father, who is not.

Wachter's response suggests that the vaccine offers new freedom to do things that have been deemed unsafe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but precautions should still be taken.

If you've recently received a jab or two in your arm, you're probably starting to think about what activities you'd like to do as you return to a less-restricted everyday life. To help you navigate your new life with a vaccination, we've looked to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and experts, including Wachter, for their advice on what you can do safely if you're vaccinated.

One important point to keep in mind when you get vaccinated: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, and they're not fully effective, reaching 95% efficacy against illness, until two weeks after the second dose. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine reaches 85% efficacy against severe disease after two weeks.

On to the questions ...

Q: Can you throw caution to the wind when vaccinated?

A: "No, not caution to the wind," Wachter wrote in an email. "The chances of you getting really sick and dying are essentially zero. But there is still a small chance of getting mild COVID, and some chance (odds still not known) of catching asymptomtic COVID and giving it to someone else. My preference is not to get it period, and definitely not to spread it — particularly if I'm around someone who is vulnerable (like someone over 70). So I am more comfortable doing things (like getting a haircut and flying) but still doing masks and distancing, trying my best to avoid being exposed."

Wachter's stance that you still need to be careful if you're vaccinated is the consensus among experts, and Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at UCSF, said this is especially important in an "unregulated environment," such as inside a grocery store, on a bus or in any group situation.

"You're in a mixed crowd, and we don't know who has been vaccinated and who is not," said Chin-Hong.

Q: Do I still need to wear a mask in public if I'm vaccinated?

A: The CDC advises that people continue to wear a mask and so do the experts.

"I think you should be wearing a mask in public since you don't know the immunity status of the people you'll be in contact with," Wachter advised.

"Yes, you still need to wear a mask," concurred Chin-Hong. "I don't know if I have protection myself in a large unregulated setting and I still could potentially transmit it to others."

Q: Do I still need to wear a mask on a run if I'm vaccinated?

A: "Depends how close you'll come to people, and what the local rules say," Wachter wrote. "But the chances that you'll catch COVID and that you'll spread it to others have gone down substantially. So if the rules allow you to run without a mask, and you won't be coming close to people, I think it's fine not to wear a mask."

"Yes, you should wear a mask in crowded places," explained Chin-Hong. "If you're running in Golden Gate Park in an area where there's not a lot of people, you probably don't need it."

Q: Can I travel on a plane safely?

A: Vaccinated or not, the CDC still recommends essential travel only, but health officials say that if you do fly, you're much safer with a vaccine than without one.

Wachter said that while he just flew to visit his elderly parents in Florida, he wouldn't have done it last month. "I wore a double mask and when people around me took off their masks to eat, I kept mine on," he wrote in an email. "The air is filtered on the plane quite well, so I felt that after 10-15 minutes after people had their masks back on, it was safe for me to remove mine to (quickly) grab a bite to eat. I ate and drank very quickly and immediately put back the mask when done."

Chin-Hong agreed that the risk is low on a plane if you're vaccinated and sporting a face covering.

"The vaccine should give you peace of mind that at least you wouldn't get severe disease and you have a very low chance of getting infected," Chin-Hong said. "I would definitely have a soda on the plane. I might even go into the bathroom but I would keep my mask on."

Q: If parents are vaccinated and children are not, can the family fly to international destinations?

A: International is trickier due to the concern about carrying worrisome mutations from one country to another — and especially with unvaccinated children.

"The kids are safer than adults (particularly if under 12) but the risk to them isn't zero, and some of the new variants appear to be harder on kids than the old virus," Wachter said. "I'd wait until everybody is vaccinated — vaccine for kids will probably be ready in the fall."

While Hawaii isn't an overseas destination, it offers a getaway and, Chin-Hong said, "Hawaii is very safe right now." He also advised against countries where variants are a concern. "I probably wouldn't take the family to South Africa on a safari," he said.

If you do choose to travel abroad, you can expect countries with quarantine and test requirements to likely add post-vaccination guidelines.

Q: Can I visit my elderly parents who are vaccinated?

A: "Yes, in a small group of vaccinated people it's going to be fine," said Chin-Hong. "You can give them a hug and have dinner with them."

As noted earlier, Wachter just visited his parents in Florida and his mom was vaccinated, but his father was not. "So I'm hugging her and not him — with him, I'm staying more than 6 feet away, keeping fans on, and wearing mask if I have to be closer," he shared.

Wachter explained on Twitter his father wasn't vaccinated as he's mostly confined to bed. His mother waited three and a half hours in a parking lot site, which his father couldn't have done. His father is a veteran and is signed up for a shot at a nearby Veterans Affairs location soon.

Q: Can I eat indoors at a restaurant?

A: "I wouldn't," Wachter shared. "There's still a lot of virus around and I'm going to wait until case rates are lower. If you do, make sure waiter is wearing mask, and wear yours until you eat."

"You will have more security in these places with a vaccinated individual and your individual chance of getting infected is very low, but I would still use protection, wear a mask," said Chin-Hong. "You're protecting the staff. Wait staff are only starting to get vaccinated. The chances are very low. You want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I still personally feel better outdoors, but if there was a big snowstorm and I had to eat indoors I would be OK with it."

Q: Can I have other vaccinated people over for an indoor dinner and sit close and not wear masks?

A: "Yes, a small group of vaccinated people getting together should be safe," said Wachter.

"Yes for a modest crowd, five or six max," specified Chin-Hong. "You want to make sure you know where they are in their vaccination. Generally two weeks after the second dose is the mantra for being safe."

Q: Can I have unvaccinated people over for an indoor dinner and sit close and not wear masks?

A: "I would not," Wachter said. "Again, there is a small but real chance that you can be infected and spread it to one of them — particularly if they're high risk (older age, maybe they have a pre-existing condition you don't know about), it could be a problem. Also, if they're unvaccinated they could infect you — you won't get super sick but I'd still rather not have COVID, since we're not sure about the possibility of long-term problems from even asymptomatic infection (though it seems unlikely). Anyway, I wouldn't risk it. Outdoors should be fine."

Chin-Hong agree it's wise to skip indoor gatherings, no matter how small, with unvaccinated friends.

"If unvaccinated people are visiting me, I'd still want to do it outside and be safe," he said. "Not only might I give it to them, I would worry they might give it to each other."

Q: Can I throw a birthday party at my house with a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people?

A: The CDC advises against gathering in large groups event if you're vaccinated, and so do both Chin-Hong and Wachter. "Birthday parties are exciting, and you'd be singing, yelping in joy and having a lot of aerosols in an indoor place," Chin-Hong said. "That would be scary. Keep it outside and do social distance and have the extra protection of a mask."

Wachter added that if everyone at the party were fully vaccinated, it should be OK, but "mixture is risky if you're inside, less so if outside."