U.S. health officials say Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear face coverings or social distance in most places. The change means that the United States can begin to re-open society and the nation after the year-long coronavirus health emergency. Dr. Rochelle Walensky is the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the CDC. She said Thursday, “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities large or small without wearing a mask or physically distancing.” Walensky added, “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.” She said the decision is based on the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in America and the agency’s understanding of how the virus spreads. She noted that studies from the U.S. and Israel have shown that the approved vaccines are strongly protective in real situations. The vaccines, she added, continue to work although new versions, or variants, of the virus are spreading. The new CDC guidance, however, still calls for wearing masks in settings like buses, airplanes and hospitals. And Walensky also advises people with weak immune systems, such as those undergoing cancer treatment, to talk with their doctors before giving up their masks. The CDC reported this week that about 154 million people in the United States have received at least one shot of vaccine. The agency noted that more than 117 million have been fully vaccinated. This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also permitted the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children as young as 12. The new guidance comes as the U.S. is starting an aggressive campaign to vaccinate those who have not yet received the shots.
Title: US Health Official Says Fully Vaccinated People Do Not Need Masks
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/C.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US Health Official Says Fully Vaccinated People Do Not Need Masks' data-article-id='5646'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='16958'>U.S. health officials say Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear face coverings or social distance in most places.</span> <span data-start-time='16958' data-end-time='31333'>The change means that the United States can begin to re-open society and the nation after the year-long coronavirus health emergency.</span> <span data-start-time='31333' data-end-time='43021'>Dr. Rochelle Walensky is the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the CDC. </span> <span data-start-time='43021' data-end-time='61292'>She said Thursday, “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities large or small without wearing a mask or physically distancing.”</span> <span data-start-time='61292' data-end-time='72896'>Walensky added, “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”</span> <span data-start-time='72896' data-end-time='88667'>She said the decision is based on the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in America and the agency’s understanding of how the virus spreads. </span> <span data-start-time='88667' data-end-time='102063'>She noted that studies from the U.S. and Israel have shown that the approved vaccines are strongly protective in real situations. </span> <span data-start-time='102063' data-end-time='113021'>The vaccines, she added, continue to work although new versions, or variants, of the virus are spreading.</span> <span data-start-time='113021' data-end-time='125521'>The new CDC guidance, however, still calls for wearing masks in settings like buses, airplanes and hospitals. </span> <span data-start-time='125521' data-end-time='140875'>And Walensky also advises people with weak immune systems, such as those undergoing cancer treatment, to talk with their doctors before giving up their masks.</span> <span data-start-time='140875' data-end-time='154667'>The CDC reported this week that about 154 million people in the United States have received at least one shot of vaccine. </span> <span data-start-time='154667' data-end-time='163354'>The agency noted that more than 117 million have been fully vaccinated.</span> <span data-start-time='163354' data-end-time='177000'>This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also permitted the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children as young as 12.</span> <span data-start-time='177000' data-end-time='188938'>The new guidance comes as the U.S. is starting an aggressive campaign to vaccinate those who have not yet received the shots.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/C.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17440 data-hint-location='88667' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/what_does_the_word_protective_mean.wav'>What does the word protective mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Capable of or intended to protect someone or something'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/imperfect_or_faulty.wav'><span>Imperfect or faulty</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/able_to_produce_large_amounts_of_goods_crops_or_other_commodities.wav'><span>Able to produce large amounts of goods, crops, or other commodities</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/capable_of_or_intended_to_protect_someone_or_something.wav'><span>Capable of or intended to protect someone or something</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/able_or_likely_to_cause_harm_or_injury.wav'><span>Able or likely to cause harm or injury</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17441 data-hint-location='88667' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/studies_from_which_two_countries_did_walensky_point_to_that_show_the_vaccines_effectiveness.wav'>Studies from which two countries did Walensky point to that show the vaccine's effectiveness?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Israel and the U.S.'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/israel_and_the_us.wav'><span>Israel and the U.S.</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/ireland_and_scotland.wav'><span>Ireland and Scotland</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/canada_and_new_zealand.wav'><span>Canada and New Zealand</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/india_and_china.wav'><span>India and China</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17442 data-hint-location='31333' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/dr_rochelle_walensky_is_the_director_of_the_centers_for_disease_control_and_prevention_known_as_the__blank__.wav'>Dr. Rochelle Walensky is the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the <span class='blank'>CDC</span>. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='CDC'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/cdc.wav'><span>CDC</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/abc.wav'><span>ABC</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/123.wav'><span>123</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/who.wav'><span>WHO</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5079/C.wav
Preview
