- it is inconsistent and imprecise. Which vaccine? There are a couple of variants now, vaccines have different levels of protection against different variants and the jury is still out on some new up-and-coming things coming out of India. It also makes you ask a couple of questions. Why should you wear the mask when using public transit or healthcare facilities? Wouldn't it be more dangerous or whatever if you're waiting for over an hour at the DMV? What about schools? We can vaccinate >12 yo now. Does this apply to them when in-person schooling?
- it sends the wrong message in an already sensitive environment wrt to 'mask wearing'. When Texas lifted the mask mandate, people expected to not be wearing masks everywhere. Vaccinated people who only read headlines will walk into hospitals and get into arguments with the staff because 'that's what the CDC said'.
- it is contrary to the current consensus from field epidemiologists [1].
- we need to keep in mind that the CDC has public health as a priority. Not your individual private health status. So their goal is to manage large scale outbreaks and not necessarily to make sure that you or your family is safe. This is why guidelines were along the lines of 'gatherings of more than 5 people'. That's not to ensure that those 5 people don't get infected but to ensure that out of the 5 that may, the infection rate will not drown the healthcare system. Anyway, about that, there are still (granted very very few) breakthrough cases. This means that for people who are immunocompromised or have undergone treatments considered risk factors, this guideline needs to raise an eyebrow or two. It is up to the individual to decide what to do. Risk of getting infected vs the convenience of NOT putting on a piece of cloth indoors, which may decrease that risk.
- as any guidance requiring self-policing (vaccinated people) this is doomed to fail. I'm sure they ran the numbers and decided that from a public health standpoint the healthcare system will be able to handle small outbreaks here and there...
- for some reason it feels like an attempt at creating an incentive for getting a vaccine. This type of thing has the same smell like the initial mask guideline which was intended to protect the supply of PPE.
And to the hn-ers screaming 'but the science' 'but the hypocrisy', well it is possible to agree and disagree with the CDC at different times and on different issues. The world is not black/white are we're not in a cult (well, not all of us).
On a personal note, I will keep wearing the mask indoors although I'm vaccinated, thank you very much. Another thing I learned since last year is that wearing a mask gives me a level or privacy I only dreamed of. Also I did not get my annual cold. So, as a free American I'll keep wearing it indoors as long as I'm not breaking the law (note that when mask mandates are lifted it's not phrased as 'masks are illegals' but 'masks are not required') and as long as other countries with people flying in and out of are in deep COVID shit. Deep enough to spawn new and improved COVIDs. I'll also reserve the right to tell anyone to fuck right off if they feel strongly about me covering my face when 'look what the CDC is saying' 'but the science we all ignored now agrees with what we wanted to do last year hurr durr'.