Normal is still a bit away

The AARP put out some guidelines for those who have been vaccinated. The return to normal must still wait until at least 2022. 

1. You still need to wear a mask because:

2. You could still catch COVID-19.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines ARE about 95 percent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses in clinical trials. The whole point of a vaccine is that it prevents you from dying or ending up in the hospital, but you may still get sick.”

3. You could infect someone else.

There's also a small chance that you could get infected with the virus and not even realize it, and then you could transmit it to someone who is not vaccinated. Researchers are still studying whether the vaccines prevent the asymptomatic spread of the virus, she says; early data indicates that they likely do. But the evidence is preliminary, and more research is needed.

4. You can visit friends and family,

The CDC still recommends avoiding medium-size and large gatherings.

5. You don't have to quarantine after exposure.

You do not have to quarantine or get tested after exposure to someone with the coronavirus, if you aren't experiencing any symptoms, the CDC says.

6. You should keep your vaccine record card handy.

In the future, you may need proof of vaccination to travel, work in certain industries or attend large events. Your vaccination card is a record of this. Your card may also come in handy to confirm which vaccine you received, and when you received it

7. Travel is still discouraged.

8. It's a good time to go to the doctor or dentist.

9. You may need a booster shot.

Researchers still don't know how long immunity from the vaccines will last. The current vaccines should provide some protection against the coronavirus variants circulating right now. Chances are that we will have to get some kind of COVID-19 shot on a regular basis, perhaps once every three years or every year, like the flu shot.

10. A return to normal hinges on herd immunity

Before life can get totally back to normal, experts say that first, we need to reach herd immunity. Estimates of when we will reach that point range from this summer to early 2022.