Is it important to follow safety precautions even after getting the coronavirus vaccine?

Gulf Today Report

With up to 4 million people in the UAE having been vaccinated against the coronavirus, important questions about safety precautions still persist.

Is it safe to meet friends and loved ones after getting the vaccine jab? Should one continue wearing a mask?

Mayo Clinic has explained at length what needs to be done after getting a vaccine jab, reports The Tribune News Service.

After getting vaccinated, it's still important to follow safety precautions, such as avoiding close contact with others, to prevent the spread of the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019.

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Further research is needed to understand the immunity that a COVID-19 vaccine provides and how long protection lasts before experts will consider changing current safety recommendations.

After you get both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, it takes about two weeks for your body to build up protection.

But even then you could become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.

Keep in mind that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is 95 per cent effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus.

The Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine is 86 per cent effective in the UAE in preventing the COVID-19 virus.

The newly rolled out AstraZeneca vaccine from India meanwhile is 70 per cent effective on an average.

While your risk of getting the COVID-19 virus after being vaccinated is low, it is possible.

It's also not clear if the COVID-19 vaccines reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

So far, only the AstraZeneca vaccine has proved effective in reducing transmission of the virus, as per researchers from Oxford University.

As a result, it's not known if a person who is vaccinated could be a carrier of the COVID-19 virus and spread it to others, even if he or she doesn't become sick.

More research is needed to determine if you are still contagious after being vaccinated.

Because of these factors, even once you're vaccinated you could still pose a health risk to unvaccinated family and friends by visiting with them in person.

The risks of serious illness from COVID-19 are highest for people who are older.

Nursing home residents are at high risk because they often have multiple underlying health problems, combined with advanced age.

Even after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, continue to follow safety precautions and consider avoiding in-person visits with friends and family until more is known about the immunity the vaccines provide.

If you choose to have in-person visits, remember to keep distance between yourself and others (2 metres).

Wear a mask. Visit outdoors, when possible, or open windows and doors to make sure the space is well-ventilated. And wash your hands often.