The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday that people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask inside in many situations. 

“If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, at a White House briefing.

Individuals are fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or the Moderna vaccine or two weeks after one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Walensky said that these individuals can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, whether they are large or small, without wearing a mask or practicing social distancing. The CDC also says, though, that people should still practice these safety measures when they are required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said on Thursday that it still makes sense, in his perspective, for everyone to wear masks in crowded indoor circumstances.

“Mostly because you don’t know who’s not vaccinated, and we’re still at risk,” he said.

The CDC’s new guidance does not apply to health care facilities. Vaccinated individuals should also still wear a mask on public transportation and in homeless shelters and prisons, the CDC says. 

Immunocompromised individuals should talk to their doctor before giving up their mask, Walensky said.

She also noted that when vaccinated individuals develops symptoms of COVID-19, they should put their mask back on and immediately get tested for COVID-19. She also said that people who are not vaccinated should continue to wear a mask and should get vaccinated right away.

Vaccinations for 12-15 year olds

The CDC is now recommending that 12 to 15 years get vaccinated against COVID-19. Members of this age group are allowed to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The website for state-run vaccination sites in Mississippi will start allowing families to book vaccination appointments for 12 to 15 year olds at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, said Jim Craig, the Mississippi State Department of Health’s director of health protection.

Dr. Paul Byers, the state epidemiologist, strongly encourages parents to get their kids vaccinated. He said that in Mississippi, more than 22,000 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 have been infected with COVID-19. At least one individual in this age group has died in Mississippi.

Byers also noted that older adolescents can transmit the novel coronavirus to other members of their household.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.