My Mother Got Vaccinated. Is It Now Safe To Visit?

It’s been more than a year since I’ve seen my mother. Like many families, we live a fair distance apart and the pandemic has put a stop to our visits. I was supposed to visit last April to celebrate her 90th birthday, but instead we shared a toast over the phone and tightly crossed our fingers that by summer things would be better. They weren’t.

Then, a few weeks ago, my mother called to say that she’d been vaccinated. She’s now more than two weeks out from her second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the thing I want to do most is give her a long and belated birthday hug. But is that really a good idea, as I haven’t been vaccinated yet? I called several infectious disease specialists to get their advice on visiting vaccinated older friends and relatives. The answer is not a simple yes or no.

First things first