Vaccines and Grandkids Returning to normalcy: a vaccine Q&A with family doctor Roland Grad by Laura Tennant As we approach a new stage in the COVID-19 pandemic, with more and more North Americans vaccinated, many people find themselves with questions about what we can and can’t do safely. For snowbirds, these questions may be different if you have been in the U.S. or in Canada. Whether you are fully vaccinated, or have only received one dose of a two-dose series, you may be wondering if you can visit with others who have not been vaccinated. Grandparents may wonder if it’s safe to visit with grandkids, especially because the COVID-19 vaccines haven’t yet been approved for kids under 12. To learnmore about the return to normalcy after vaccination, we spoke with Dr. Roland Grad, MD, a family doctor with 34 years of practice experience and associate professor of medicine at McGill University. Grad understands the importance of grandparents visiting with grandkids, as well as the importance of staying safe. “As a grandparent, your opportunity to be with your grandkids is limited,” Grad says. While zero-risk situations simply don’t exist, the doctor says, the vaccines make it much safer to return to normal activities. For those who have only received their first shot, extra safety measures can ensure a low-risk visit. Can fully vaccinated grandparents visit with unvaccinated grandkids? On May 13, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its Interim Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People. The webpage states that fully vaccinated people can “resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing.” InMarch 2021, at a CDC briefing, officials specifically stated that fully vaccinated grandparents can visit normally with unvaccinated grandchildren, assuming that none of the children is at high risk. They suggest that older adults who are vaccinated limit visits to one unvaccinated household at a time. This means that youmay choose not to visit all of your grandkids at once, if those grandkids live in separate households. The CDC is a cautious group, Grad says. “They’re not going to say that, if they’re not sure about it,” he continues. “Their confidence comes fromwhat they’re observing…and they’re not seeing hospitalizations among people who have been fully vaccinated.” What about half-vaccinated grandparents? People who have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine are advised to behave as if they haven’t been vaccinated. However, the reality is that one dose gives a person some protection against the worst risks of COVID-19. The CDC found that people over age 65 who received one dose of anmRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) were 64 per cent less likely to be hospitalized than people who had not been vaccinated. Those who received two doses were 94 per cent less likely to require hospitalization. Dr. Grad says that it’s best to play it safe if you’re only half-vaccinated. “I would have a hard time going against [standard] guidance here.”That being said, the doctor says, it’s an individual decision which has to do with how much risk a person is willing to tolerate. For many people, one dose of the vaccine is enough to feel safe to engage in some form of in-person connection, when public health restrictions allow for it. Adding in some extra protection, such as wearing masks or holding the gathering outdoors, can add extra peace of mind. One option is to wait until two weeks after your second shot before returning to visits, the doctor says. “But if you don’t want to wait, stay outdoors, wear a mask and try not to let the kids slobber all over you,” he explains. COVID-19 36 | www.snowbirds.org
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