RELATED: If You’re Using This Mask for Protection, Throw It Out Now, FDA Warns In guidance to the public updated on Aug. 19, the CDC recommends that anyone who takes immunosuppressant medication—a classification that includes corticosteroids, mTOR inhibitors, IMDH inhibitors, Janus kinase inhibitors, calcineurin inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies, among others—follow the health authority’s recommendations for unvaccinated people. This includes wearing a mask in public indoor settings, practicing social distancing, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, practicing adequate hand hygiene, and regularly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb For the latest COVID news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Similarly, vaccinated people who have conditions that have an immunosuppressant effect should wear masks in public and otherwise follow guidance for unvaccinated people, the CDC says. While the amount of protection COVID vaccines confer to immunocompromised individuals varies from person to person, a May study published in JAMA found that, among individuals who were immunocompromised due to an organ transplant, just 17 percent had COVID antibodies after receiving their first dose of a COVID vaccine. The idea that the COVID vaccine may not have provided as much protection as you’d hoped may be distressing, but there is a silver lining. As of Aug. 13, the CDC now recommends that individuals ages 12 and up with many immunosuppressive conditions receive a third dose of the COVID vaccine 28 days or more after receiving their second dose. Though many people have eagerly ditched their masks after getting vaccinated against COVID, doing so may have been premature in light of the highly contagious Delta variant’s spread. In addition to immunosuppressed individuals, the CDC now recommends that individuals in “areas of substantial or high transmission” wear a mask indoors, too. RELATED: This Is How You Can Catch Delta Outside, Even If You’re Vaccinated, Expert Says.
