Why it’s important to continue taking precautions after getting the COVID-19 vaccine

Edwin Hayes, MD

Infectious Diseases

The COVID-19 vaccine was developed for protection against the virus. But does that mean we can ditch the masks and hug our grandparents? Infectious disease physician Edwin Hayes, MD, shared why it is important to continue with other precautions even after you have received the vaccine.

He said when battling a foe like COVID-19, there is no “silver bullet” that can completely protect you. You want multiple methods of protection.

“When you go into battle, you don’t just wear a helmet. It offers a degree of protection, but you couple that with other armor. The vaccination gives a significant amount of protection from ending up sick or in the hospital. But the COVID-19 vaccine coupled with other safety precautions is what will best protect us.”

Precautions include:

• Wearing a mask
• Social distancing
• Washing your hands

“By doing these things we can stop the strain on the healthcare system and economy, eventually finding our way back to some sort of functional life again,” said Dr. Hayes.

And most of all, it protects our family and friends.

“We need to take responsibility to not only protect ourselves, but also our community. The vaccine is not available to everyone yet, so the safety precautions we’ve been practicing need to continue. I received the vaccine and I still wear my mask, wash my hands and distance from people. We all have a responsibility in this pandemic. It is my responsibility to be able to continue to work and take care of patients. And I’ll do whatever I can to stop COVID-19 from affecting anyone else,” said Dr. Hayes.

Coupling the vaccine with the other COVID-19 safety precautions will help bring an end to this pandemic. “There is not one answer to ending this pandemic, but several that need to be paired together. The vaccine is just another step in the right direction for us,” said Dr. Hayes.