(ABC4) – You’ve waited your turn and been vaccinated for COVID-19, but what now?
Vaccinated individuals might be left wondering how to navigate a world where only a portion of the population has received the vaccine. Do you continue to social distance and wear a mask? And when does immunity set in?
How long should I wait to get the COVID-19 vaccine after having the virus?
According to the Utah Department of Health, here is some information that vaccinated Utahns should know.
At what point am I immune to COVID-19?
Those who are vaccinated are considered immune two weeks after receiving their second dose of the vaccine. If you are exposed to the virus before that, you can still get sick.
Should I still wear a face mask?
According to the Utah Department of Health, yes. Though the vaccine has a 95% effectiveness rate of protecting you from COVID-19, experts still do not know if vaccinated people can spread the virus to others or not. Wearing a mask will protect those around you.
This Utah bill proposes adding consent to sex education curriculum
Therefore, it’s recommended that vaccinated people continue to follow all COVID-19 safety precautions, such as social distancing, staying home when sick, and washing hands often. This is especially important since COVID-19 variants are believed to spread more easily.
A nurse prepares a syringe with Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during the national launch of the vaccination of hospital staff at the Etterbeek-Ixelles site of the Iris Sud Hospitals in Brussels, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. (Stephanie Lecocq, Pool Photo via AP) 
An ampoule Moderna vaccine against the COVID-19 disease, stand on the table at the Diakonie Hospital “DIAKO” vaccination ward in Bremen, Germany, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. Besides the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, Moderna is the second corona vaccine approved in the European Union. (Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa via AP) 
Boxes containing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be shipped at the McKesson distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss., Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, Pool) 
A health worker carries doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in a box at the Rene-Muret hospital in Servan near Paris, Sunday Dec. 27, 2020. (Thomas Samson/Pool Photo via AP) 
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a “Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine” sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo) 
A nurse prepares a shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Guy’s Hospital in London, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, as the U.K. health authorities rolled out a national mass vaccination program. U.K. regulators said Wednesday that people who have a “significant history’’ of allergic reactions shouldn’t receive the new Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine while they investigate two adverse reactions that occurred on the first day of the country’s mass vaccination program. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool) 
This Sept. 2020 photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows a scientist in Janssen laboratory in Leiden, The Netherlands. Johnson & Johnson’s long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine appears to protect against symptomatic illness with just one shot – not as strong as some two-shot rivals but still potentially helpful for a world in dire need of more doses. Johnson & Johnson said Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 that in the U.S. and seven other countries, the first single-shot vaccine appears 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19. It was more protective against severe symptoms, 85%. (Johnson & Johnson via AP) 
This Sept. 2020 photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows the investigational Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. Johnson & Johnson’s long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine appears to protect against symptomatic illness with just one shot – not as strong as some two-shot rivals but still potentially helpful for a world in dire need of more doses. Johnson & Johnson said Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 that in the U.S. and seven other countries, the first single-shot vaccine appears 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19. It was more protective against severe symptoms, 85%. (Cheryl Gerber/Johnson & Johnson via AP)
Do I still need to quarantine after being vaccinated?
If two weeks have passed since you received the second dose, you don’t have to quarantine or isolate if you are exposed to someone with the virus. However, you may still need to quarantine under certain circumstances, UDOH says.
If you have not yet received both doses of the vaccine and are exposed to someone who tests positive, the recommendation is to quarantine and get tested.
If you have received both doses of the vaccine but it has not been two weeks since you were vaccinated, the recommendation is also to quarantine and get tested.
This step after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine makes a difference
What should I do if I experience COVID-19 symptoms?
Those who have had only one dose of the vaccine and experience COVID-19 symptoms should isolate and get tested immediately, as they can still catch the virus. People who have received both doses of the vaccine but have not yet gone two weeks since the second dose should also isolate and get tested right away.
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and it has been two weeks since your second dose of the vaccine, it is recommended that you call your doctor, as the symptoms are likely caused by something else. If your doctor recommends you get tested for COVID-19, that is okay. The vaccine does not affect the test’s accuracy.
For more information on COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine, visit coronavirus.utah.gov.
