More than one-third of South Carolina residents receive at least one COVID vaccine.

Darlington County, South Carolina (WIS)-According to the State Department of Health and Environment, South Carolina has more than two million COVID-19 vaccines in people’s arms.

Almost one-fifth of South Carolina’s population is fully vaccinated and more than one-third have begun the vaccination process, so fully vaccinated people are around others. There is confusion about what you can and cannot do safely.

Below are some of the questions people asked shortly after receiving their second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, as well as answers from Dr. Jeremy Robertson, Chief Medical Officer of MacLeod Health.

The following quotes have been slightly edited for clarity.

Full protection

Lobby bead: What is the ratio of current protection to future protection?

DR. Jeremy Robertson: There are studies showing that you have a decent amount of protection after your first dose … probably 80 percent or so.

You have not been fully vaccinated until 2 weeks after that second dose … I don’t know what it is [percent] It will be a week after the second dose.

Patricia Cellars: How long will the protection from the vaccine last?

DR. Jeremy Robertson: We don’t have a great idea.

It’s one thing as more research comes out and you get to know these vaccines better.

At this time, I feel that the vaccine produces a good immune response to COVID. I think this will last a long time.

I don’t know if it will be a year, more, or a little shorter.

Gathering with unvaccinated people

Pamela erosion: I have been completely vaccinated, so what is my interaction with people who have not been vaccinated both internally and externally?

DR. Robertson: See the CDC guidelines for that.

Good when there are people who are completely vaccinated.

The outside is much safer … the unvaccinated people inside should be at low risk [of getting seriously ill from COVID-19]..

JANET PIGATT: How long does it take for everyone to get together after vaccination?

DR. Robertson: Importantly, if it’s a low-risk group and people are fully vaccinated, I think you’re much better protected. And personally, you’ll feel much more comfortable in that situation.

If you are around a limited number of people, such as a household, they are not vaccinated, they are at low risk, and there are no medical comorbidities, it is considered a low risk activity. I will.

Eating out

Mary Morsh: When is it safe for us to eat out and go to a restaurant?

DR. Robertson: Eating indoors is defined as a high-risk type of activity.

Vaccination reduces COVID in the community, and full vaccination enhances protection.

But I will still follow those measures that are there to the best of my ability.

Face-to-face learning

Lenia Paul-Patterson: How worried i should be [as a teacher] Now that I’ve been vaccinated, what about going back face-to-face with the returning children?

DR. Jeremy Robertson: If you get one of those two doses of vaccine [regiment] And you have already reached that point in the second dose and at that point you have pretty good protection.

You haven’t been fully vaccinated for the next two weeks, but I think it’s a pretty safe environment for you.

We will continue to implement masking and other measures, but the protection is fairly good.

Concerns surrounding variants

JEAH WOLFE: How much do I need to worry about variants now that I have been vaccinated?

DR. Robertson: The data we currently have about variants are vaccines that are effective against the variants as far as we know of the variants.

As a fully vaccinated person, I am relieved to say that I am well protected from those variants that are there.

Previous vaccines were tested in a variant-free environment. Johnson and Johnson were tested with variants.

So we know that the effect will be somewhat diminished.

But I still think it’s very good in the first place and will ultimately protect you from the main things we’re worried about: severe illness, hospitalization, and death.

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