Answers to questions raised after you get vaccinated

As more people are being vaccinated, Washington County Public Health is answering questions they are hearing from residents.

What happens if my doses are greater than 21 or 28 days apart?

Whether the spacing of your second dose is due to scheduling conflicts or a dosage that was delayed due to vaccine shipment delays, even if you're more than 42 days past your first dose, you will not have to restart the series. If possible, it's best to get that second dose either 21 days (Pfizer) or 28 days (Moderna) after your first dose to ensure you have full protection as soon as possible. Full immunity takes approximately two weeks after your second dose. You do need to ensure you're getting two doses of the same type of vaccine, and not combining Moderna and Pfizer with your first and second doses.

Once I've been vaccinated, do I still have to wear a mask?

You get the full effectiveness of the vaccine two weeks after your second dose, but we still recommend mask-wearing and social distancing after you've been vaccinated. Although the vaccine does greatly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death, there still is risk that you can carry the virus to others. Until enough people have immunity, the recommendation remains to keep wearing a mask and social distancing after you've been vaccinated.