Should I wear the mask after getting the COVID- 19 vaccine?

After months of pressures that the whole world faced from a complete lockdown, canceled trips, social distancing, and communication only through the screens of various electronic devices, it is possible that you are a little excited about the newly discovered freedom that vaccination against COVID- 19 offers us. Unfortunately, it is not so simple.

It is certain that the vaccine provides protection from infection with the Coronavirus or may help relieve symptoms, but it is very important to adhere to preventive measures to protect ourselves and others from infection even after vaccination.

These safety measures include:

• Wearing a mask
• Maintain a distance of 6 feet between yourself and others
• Avoid large gatherings
• Use disinfectants 

Here are the three main reasons to take precautions after a vaccination:

There is a time period between vaccination and the development of immunity

Every vaccine is different, but what we know about the different COVID- 19 vaccines is that it takes time to gain the full protective effects. You will need two doses (the second dose three weeks after the first). After the second dose, it will take another week or so for you to be fully protected. It takes time for your body to develop a specific immune response to ward off COVID- 19. This time delay means you cannot go directly from getting your first dose to normal life. Beginning on the day you get your first dose, expect the entire immune building process to take at least four to six weeks.

The vaccination process takes time

COVID- 19 vaccines have the potential to stimulate immunity against the new coronavirus without anyone infecting it. But controlling COVID- 19 will take more than just vaccinating some people. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of the planet’s population receives the vaccine to immunize themselves against infectious diseases so that the disease cannot spread effectively among the population. Experts estimate that this process may require vaccination of between 70% to 90% of the world’s population. 

COVID- 19 can be spread after vaccination

The primary goal of any vaccine is to prevent disease and death, but vaccines are more than 90% effective. But preventing disease is different from preventing infection. Vaccines are effective and significantly reduce a person’s risk of becoming very ill as a result of COVID- 19 and prevent you from getting the infection in the first place, but that does not mean that the vaccine does not prevent infection either.