On February 26, 2021, the PA Department of Health (DOH) announced that it has aligned its COVID-19 quarantine guidance for fully vaccinated individuals with that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Opens In A New Window.

“We know that Pennsylvanians are eager to get vaccinated and be further protected from COVID-19,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “As the CDC continues to update guidance for individuals who are fully vaccinated, we will follow their lead. I want to stress, though, that regardless of vaccination status, individuals who are showing new or unexplained symptoms of COVID-19 still need to isolate and be tested for COVID-19.”

Under the updated guidance, people who have had both doses of a two-dose vaccine, or one dose of a single dose vaccine, do not need to quarantine after an exposure to another person with COVID-19 if they meet all the following criteria:

• They are fully vaccinated (i.e., more than two weeks following receipt of the second dose in a two-dose series, or of one dose of a single-dose vaccine);
• They are within three months following receipt of the last dose in the series; and
• They have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure. 

This does not mean the vaccine is only effective for three months, but rather that it is unclear how long immunity from vaccine will last. The CDC is utilizing what is known about natural post-infection immunity and limiting the quarantine guidance to 90 days at this time while additional research is conducted.

This guidance applies to the general population, including businesses, schools and some healthcare settings as a way to alleviate staffing shortages. It does not apply to patients or residents in healthcare settings. More information for healthcare settings about vaccinated healthcare workers and patients can be found here. To read the press release from DOH, click here.