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COVID-19

Resources, information and assistance from across state government. Visit the Information Hub
NC DHHS COVID-19 »  
Vaccines
»  
After You’ve Been Vaccinated

After You’ve Been Vaccinated

Protecting Yourself and Others After Getting Vaccinated

Tested, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are helping us gain control of our lives and get back to the people and places we love. It is important to know when you are fully vaccinated and the steps we all need to take to keep protecting each other after you’re vaccinated.  

When am I considered fully vaccinated? 

You are fully vaccinated two weeks after your final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This means:

  • For two-dose vaccines, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, you are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your second dose.  
  • For a single-dose vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your dose. 

If it has been less than two weeks since your final shot for the vaccine, then you are not fully protected yet. 

After I am fully vaccinated, what can I do differently? 

Once you are fully vaccinated: 

  • You can gather with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask.  

  • You can gather with people who are not vaccinated from one other household without wearing a mask, but only if no one from the other household is at high-risk for severe COVID-19 illness.  

  • You do not need to quarantine or get tested if you have been around someone who has COVID-19, unless you develop COVID-19 symptoms. (If you develop symptoms, you will need to get tested and isolate as soon as possible).

What should I do to protect those around me? 

Until enough of us are protected by the vaccines, we need to keep protecting each other. That’s why we all need to keep practicing the 3 Ws - wear a mask, wait 6 feet apart and wash your hands.

  • Be sure to practice the 3 Ws when:

    • In public 

    • Visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple other households 

    • Around unvaccinated people who are at high risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19  

  • Avoid large gatherings  

  • Delay domestic and international travel 

Share Materials 

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine and practicing the 3 Ws is everyone’s best protection from getting and spreading COVID-19. Please share important information, including social media graphics and flyers, with your community.

Resources 

  • Interim Guidance for Individuals Who Have Been Vaccinated Against COVID-19 (Spanish)

Vaccines

  • Find a Vaccine Provider
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Communications Toolkit
  • For Providers
  • NC Vaccine Strategy
  • Vacuna
  • After You’ve Been Vaccinated
  • COVID-19 Vaccines Safety

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Contact Information

NC Department of Health and Human Services
2001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-2000
Customer Service Center: 1-800-662-7030
For COVID-19 questions call 1-888-675-4567

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https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines/after-youve-been-vaccinated