- Older adults are being prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Many families may soon find themselves in a position where older adults are vaccinated, but their children and grandchildren aren’t.
- Until more of the population is vaccinated and community transmission of the virus has gone down, physical distancing and mask wearing still need to be practiced, experts say.
For older adults who have been isolated from family and friends for the better part of a year to stay safe from the coronavirus, the emergency authorization of two COVID-19 vaccines offers some light at the end of the tunnel.
While the vaccine certainly offers more protection, experts caution it’ll still take some time before life returns to normal.
That includes what visits with loved ones will look like.
“It’s exciting for people who have been vaccinated to think about resuming those things again, but we’re still not out of the woods yet,” said Dr. Ronan Factora, of the Center for Geriatric Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. “It’s a process.”
As the United States continues its vaccine rollout, people over the age of 75, along with frontline essential workers, are being prioritized to receive the shot after healthcare personnel and nursing home residents.
In the next phase, people 65 to 74 and adults with underlying health conditions will be offered the vaccine.
This will put many families in a situation where older adults are vaccinated, but their children and grandchildren aren’t.
Healthline spoke with medical experts to see how families should go about visiting loved ones safely in these situations.
Source: healthline