What's the news. Healthcare workers and residents in healthcare settings who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease should continue to quarantine if exposed to suspected or known cases of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, even though this is not recommended for all other persons. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance on February 10, 2021, for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that states nonhealthcare staff who are fully vaccinated may skip quarantine after exposure. Quarantine is still recommended for healthcare staff because "it remains unclear how much the vaccines may reduce transmission and how long their protection lasts," CDC advised. Vaccine efficacy for the SARS-CoV-2 variant strains is also still not known.

Why it matters. The new quarantine guidance has implications for healthcare providers because of staffing shortages exacerbated by the pandemic. It should be noted that the guidance is for the workplace only and exposed healthcare personnel are not required to quarantine outside of work. Per CDC's previous guidance, fully vaccinated persons should still continue to wear masks, social distance, avoid crowds, and wash hands often. As more vaccines become authorized, the postvaccination quarantine recommendations will be updated again.

How ECRI can help. The guidance article Immunization of Healthcare Personnel discusses informed consent, how to handle informed refusal, and how to document and manage the declination process.