MADISON, Wis. – “I got my vaccine … what now?”
More than half of Wisconsin’s 65+ population is now fully vaccinated, and they have questions. Who can see them? What can they do? Where can they go? What changes?
According to all doctors, masks are an essential part of life, even after vaccination. However, some aspects of daily life may change once you receive the survey.
Dr. Jeff Pothof, Chief Quality Officer at UW Health, spoke to News 3 this afternoon about life after the vaccination: specifically what is safe and what is not.
Meetings with family / friends: Proceed carefully.
Dr. Pothof explained that at present there is not a completely safe way to communicate with others, as more than 90% of Wisconsinites have not yet been vaccinated. Indoor gatherings are relatively safe if everyone is vaccinated.
“Even in a meeting with people at lower risk, you can facilitate an event with a superspreader,” Pothof explains. “Wherever people go, they can spread the disease to additional people.”
Dining: More safe, for vaccinated.
Pothof said that even after vaccination, people could endanger the guard staff, especially if employees in the service industry had not yet received their vaccines. In Wisconsin, many people are still waiting.
Shopping: Fairly low risk.
Pothof noted that grocery stores have done a good job of removing buyers and restricting interaction. He said the risk is low, even among the elderly.
“As long as it’s 7 to 10 days after your last dose, you stay at a distance and wear your mask, I’ll feel pretty comfortable telling people it’s okay to do that,” Pothof said.
Travel: Relatively safe.
“If you get vaccinated and you’re going to fly somewhere, it’s essentially bubbling inside you, I would not worry too much,” Pothof said of a spring break.
He said airports are generally well located, so this is the biggest concern about the number of people you are dealing with by your holiday destination. Holiday homes and apartments are safer than hotels, and walking on a beach is safer than walking in a busy park. Pothof says you need to use common sense and plan ahead.
Extensive extended family: Wait a little longer.
Pothof said he understands it is difficult. However, he said we have come this far, so it is safest to wait another three to four months, even if you have been vaccinated, until the rest of Wisconsin catches up. Once 75 to 80 percent of the people in the state are vaccinated, life can probably return to something more normal.
The conclusion:
Pothof said there are two reasons to still wear a mask and social distance:
- To protect other people who have not yet been vaccinated
- To prevent the virus from mutating and creating variants that could impair the effectiveness of your vaccine
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