Can Fully Vaccinated People Still Transmit COVID-19?

As countries continue to amp up their vaccination drives against COVID-19, many question whether fully vaccinated individuals can still transmit and spread the virus. Experts finally weigh in.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, said that it is “very unlikely” for vaccinated people to transmit the virus.

“The more evidence we get, it appears it’s very unlikely for a vaccinated person to transfer the virus to someone else,” he said in a report from WoodTV.

As of Monday, 37.3% of Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 47.5% have received at least one dose, CDC data shows.

Chin-Hong cited studies from Israel and United Kingdom that showed there was “very little transmission from vaccinated people.” A study revealed that the Pfizer vaccine has at least 97% effectivity in preventing symptomatic and critical disease and death.

The study also found that vaccines have a 94% effectivity in preventing asymptomatic disease.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier said that fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing masks or practicing social distancing.

"Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance," its website noted

Experts, however, warn some people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may still get sick as there is no vaccine that is 100% effective. Experts continue to monitor and evaluate how often this occurs, how severe their illness is and how likely a vaccinated person is to spread COVID-19 to others.

Despite the new mask mandates, people are still recommended to wear masks in public, regardless of their vaccination status.