CDC: No need to quarantine if you’ve been vaccinated

People who have been fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 do not have to quarantine after being exposed to the virus, according to new guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday.

What Happened: The CDC said that vaccines have been shown to prevent symptomatic cases of COVID-19. Experts believe people showing symptoms are more likely to spread the virus than those who are asymptomatic.

What It Means: Some of the reasoning behind the move may be economic rather than epidemiological.

“Individual and societal benefits of avoiding unnecessary quarantine may outweigh the potential but unknown risk of transmission [among vaccinated individuals],” said the CDC in making the announcement.

The decision is expected to allow more vaccinated health care workers to continue working even after being exposed to infected individuals. Quarantines have contributed to a shortage of health care workers over the course of the pandemic.

You can read more on Reuters.