COVID-19 has had a significant impact on families all over the world. With the older population being much more high risk, families have been taking extra precautions to ensure that they can protect the vulnerable. With vaccines quickly starting to roll out, it’s only natural that people are looking for a change. Still, many people are asking is it safe to visit my elderly parents after they’ve been vaccinated?

The short answer is, yes, it’s safe to visit your elderly parents after they’ve been vaccinated. If you haven’t had exposure to the virus and have been quarantining, there are no restrictions on meeting your parents.

While it is safe to visit your parents after receiving their vaccinations, experts recommend following certain guidelines. Keep reading to learn more about the vaccine and how to safely see your loved ones.

Why It’s Safe to Visit Your Vaccinated Parents

It's important to understand what fully vaccinated means to see why it’s safe for you to visit your parents after they’re fully vaccinated. Due to the availability of different vaccines, fully vaccinated could mean several things.

People who receive the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine are fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second dose. On the other hand, individuals receive fully vaccinated status two weeks after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

When it comes to meeting other fully vaccinated people, the CDC states that fully vaccinated individuals can meet one another without wearing masks or worrying about physical distancing. For unvaccinated individuals from the same household, vaccinated people can meet them without worrying about masks or social distancing, as long as everyone is at low risk for COVID-19 complications.

However, suppose an unvaccinated individual is at a high risk of COVID-19 complications. In that case, it’s crucial to follow the necessary protocols such as wearing a face mask and social distancing. Vaccinated individuals should also follow the same protocols while going out in public!

Important Things To Consider Before Visiting Parents

Even though the CDC has come up with a new set of guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals, there’s still so much we don’t know about the virus.

Here are some important considerations that you need to take into account before visiting any vaccinated family member!

1. The Vaccine’s Effectiveness

The two main vaccines that people are receiving in the United States are Pfizer and Moderna. Both these vaccines require two doses. After the first dose, the individual gets 50% protection against the possibility of getting COVID-19. 

The second dose raises the effectiveness to somewhere between 94-95%. Even though they don’t offer 100% protection, it’s still super important to get your parents vaccinated as soon as possible.

On the other hand, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 72% effective. However, despite the lower effectiveness, it’s shown to decrease the risk of severe complications that may arise due to COVID.

The vaccines may not be 100% effective, but they offer crucial protection to the most vulnerable individuals.

2. Duration of Immunity

Currently, the vaccine is still in the early stages of administration. Experts aren’t sure how long an individual is immune to COVID-19 after receiving their dose. Most experts agree that two main factors determine the length of immunity: the duration of the immune response and any changes that may occur in the visit.

The current research on the matter reveals that the vaccination will remain effective for between six months to a year. As time progresses, it’s only natural that we learn more information about the vaccine and whether it’s capable of warding off newer strains of COVID-19.

Once you get your parents vaccinated, you can rest assured knowing that for the next 6-12 months, they’re going to have a significantly greater level of protection, and you can visit them without hesitation!

3. Only Visit Relatives That Live Independently

One of the most important things to consider before visiting your parents after their vaccination is where they live. If your parents live in a nursing home or an assisted living facility, you’ll have to take a lot of precautions if you want to meet them.

They could be living with unvaccinated individuals who are vulnerable to COVID-19. In this situation, you could be putting them at risk by entering the facility to meet your parents.

However, if your parents live independently, you’re free to visit them as long as there aren’t any high-risk COVID-19 individuals traveling alongside!

Conclusion

Many people thought that the advent of the COVID vaccine would lead to life returning back to normal. However, that’s not the case.

Even if your parents are fully vaccinated, there are multiple considerations that you should take to account for a safe visit. Once the vaccines see a full year of use, then we’ll have enough information to operate properly!