MDS Alert

Reader Questions:

Vaccination Does Not Initially Preclude Exposure

Question: What kind of policies should facilities put in place for a staff member who are exposed to COVID-19 outside the facility, such as within their household, but soon after receives the vaccine for COVID-19? Would it be safe for someone in that situation to come to work?

California Subscriber

Answer: In a word, no. “The worker in this situation would have had a higher-risk exposure presumptively, and hence, would be quarantined for 14 days after their last exposure. So, no, they would not be able to continue working,” said David T. Kuhar, MD, a member of the healthcare infection control team for COVID-19 Response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, in a recent Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call.