Keep Your Mask On

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Dear Editor:

The cartoon in the Feb. 5 edition implied something that’s just not true — that we can act differently once we’ve been vaccinated.

Unfortunately, we can’t let our guard down yet. According to Jon Richardson, chief operating officer for the Eastern Shore Health District, “Receiving the vaccine for COVID-19 does not mean life goes back to pre-pandemic times.”

The vaccine trials didn’t track who got infected, but only who got sick. There is a distinct possibility that you could be infected, be asymptomatic, but still transmit the virus to others.

“A lot of people are thinking that once they get vaccinated, they’re not going to have to wear masks anymore,” said Michael Tal, an immunologist at Stanford University quoted in a recent New York Times article. “They have to keep wearing masks, because they could still be contagious.”

To quote Jon Richardson again, “Even after receiving the vaccine, it will remain important to continue masking, maintaining social distancing, and avoiding crowded areas in the coming months.”

So let’s celebrate our ability to get vaccinated — but keep doing everything we’ve been doing to keep everyone safe.

Sue Mastyl, Harborton

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