The study comes one day after the CDC announced it’s safe for vaccinated Americans to stop physically distancing or wearing masks in most cases.
Pfizer and Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines are almost 95% effective after two shots and over 80% effective after just one shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a study of vaccinated healthcare workers released Friday, offering what the CDC calls “the most compelling evidence to date” vaccines work well enough that immunized people don’t need to wear masks. The study comes one day after the CDC said it’s safe for fully vaccinated Americans to stop wearing masks and physically distance in most cases, a landmark recommendation for a country rocked by more than a year of on-and-off Covid-19 restrictions. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday’s study was “pivotal” in her agency’s decision to loosen its coronavirus recommendations, after months of encouraging vaccinated people to continue wearing masks indoors and avoiding crowded spaces.
