Too soon? The CDC Relaxes Mask Guidance For Fully Vaccinated

Short Wave

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🗓️ 18 May 2021

⏱️ 11 minutes

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Summary

Many Americans are baring their faces in public again, following new CDC recommendations that fully vaccinated people don't need them in most settings. But there are critics who question the CDC's decision and say it's too soon. Maddie Sofia talks with NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey about this latest mask guidance and the questions it raises for businesses, essential workers, and the most vulnerable.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:05.0	Maddie Sifai here with Shortwave Regular, Health Correspondent Alison Aubrey, high
0:09.8	Alison.
0:10.8	Hey Maddie, good to be here.
0:11.8	So last week, the CDC updated its mask guidance for fully vaccinated people.
0:16.9	That's right, the CDC has said that fully vaccinated people can stop wearing a mask and
0:21.6	almost all settings, including indoors, but there are exceptions, such as when you travel
0:26.8	on a bus or a plane or other forms of public transit.
0:30.6	And they say you should still follow whatever your state and local rules are.
0:34.6	Right, right.
0:35.6	And I don't know about you, Alison, but this guidance did feel somewhat sudden?
0:39.4	It does feel a bit abrupt, you know, wearing a mask is a habit now when I grab my keys,
0:44.0	my cell phone, I grab that mask too.
0:46.4	So yeah, it's a change.
0:47.8	Yeah, I mean, for fully vaccinated, it feels like a big change, like a whole new world
0:52.1	out there.
0:53.1	There are still a ton of people in the US who aren't vaccinated, people that can't get
0:57.3	vaccinated, they're still making their minds up or those that want to, but haven't been
1:02.2	able to yet.
1:03.2	Right, about 123 million people in the US are now fully vaccinated.
1:07.4	That is 37% of the total population.
1:10.7	So still a long way to go.
	...

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