# data[].attributes.body
To get hyped up for the summer!

# data[].attributes.body
Human Physiology - infectious diseases
The COVID-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.body
A crowd of people wearing masks to prevent themselves from getting sick

# data[].attributes.body
"CDC says fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear face masks indoors or outdoors in most settings"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a face mask or stay 6 feet away from others in most settings, whether outdoors or indoors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in updated public health guidance released Thursday.

There are a handful of instances where people will still need to wear masks - in a health-care setting or at a business that requires them - even if they've had their final vaccine dose two or more weeks ago, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters at a press briefing. Fully vaccinated people will also still need to wear masks on airplanes, buses, trains and other public transportation, she said.

"Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing," Walensky said. "If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy."

Walensky said unvaccinated people should still continue to wear masks, adding they remain at risk of mild or severe illness, death, and risk of spreading the disease to others. People with compromised immune systems should speak with their doctor before giving up their masks, she said.

She added there is always a chance the CDC could change its guidance again if the Covid pandemic worsens or additional variants emerge.

"This is an exciting and powerful moment, it could only happen because of the work of so many who made sure we have the rapid administration of three safe and effective vaccines," she said.

The announcement from the CDC comes just ahead of the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parade season. President Joe Biden has said he hopes to see enough Americans vaccinated by Independence Day to safely hold outdoor gatherings.

Last week, Biden announced his administration's latest goals in the fight against the coronavirus: getting 70% of U.S. adults to receive at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and having 160 million adults fully vaccinated by July 4.

As of Wednesday, more than 151 million Americans age 18 and older, or 58.7% of the U.S. adult population, have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, according to data compiled by the CDC. Roughly 116 million American adults, or 45.1% of the U.S. adult population, are fully vaccinated, according to the agency.

To reach the president's goal, the administration is working to make getting a Covid vaccine shot as simple and convenient as possible.

Biden is directing thousands of local pharmacies to provide walk-in vaccinations to people without appointments, a senior administration official told reporters last week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will also support pop-up and mobile clinics, which are aimed at individuals who may otherwise have trouble reaching vaccination sites.

On Tuesday, the White House announced a new partnership with Uber and Lyft that will offer free rides to vaccination sites until July 4.

The new CDC guidance Thursday marks a turning point in the pandemic and is likely to encourage more Americans, especially those still hesitant about receiving the shots, to get vaccinated, health experts say.

U.S. health officials stressed that the Covid vaccines are highly effective, pointing to several studies, including one out of Israel that found the Pfizer-BioNTech shot was 97% successful in preventing symptomatic infections in fully vaccinated people.

Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA's advisory panel, called the new guidance an "important step forward."

"And yet another incentive to get vaccinated," he added.

The guidance is "pragmatic [and] aligns with science," said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto. "It also demonstrates how mass vaccination can truly be a path toward normalcy and that the U.S. is far along on that path."

He added it will be "nearly impossible" to enforce with those who aren't vaccinated and said some businesses that lift restrictions may need to impose an honor system.
- CNBC's Rich Mendez contributed to this report.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
CDC says fully vaccinated people don't need to wear face masks indoors or outdoors in most settings

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a face mask or stay 6 feet away from others in most settings, whether outdoors or indoors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in updated public health guidance released Thursday.

# data[].attributes.body
The message of the article is that people who are fully vaccinated (both shots) can now be without masks both indoors and outdoors. However, this is subject to change as the pandemic develops and people still have to wear masks if an establishment requires them to.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reasoning for the choosing the news article

# data[].attributes.subject
Reasoning for the choosing the news article

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reasoning for the choosing the news article

# data[].attributes.body
My message to communicate about this issue is that I think its great that fully vaccinated people can go outside without masks!  However, people should still proceed with caution. For example, the CDC director even added that "there is always a chance that the CDC could change its guidance again if the COVID pandemic worsens or additional variants emerge" (Lovelace Jr and Mendez). This is important because people might just see the headline and jump at the news without considering the implications of it. This will probably cause large crowds of people to come together, like during the Forth of July which is coming up. It's also especially worrisome that Dr. Isaac Bogoch said that "some businesses that lift restrictions may need to impose an honor system" (Lovelace Jr and Mendez). It can definitely be assumed that someone might not be truthful in this situation, and if some people aren't fully vaccinated or are asymptomatic the progress made towards normalcy could be lost.

# data[].attributes.body
Biology for the IB diploma

Brenda Walpole-Ashby Merson-Davies-Leighton Dann - Cambridge University Press - 2014

Learning Map 6.3: Infectious Diseases . 2020.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17zV2HMNJ2YmgL7aR2gujYHowdtTIL1mlN7QRm75FoZE/edit

Lovelace Jr., Berkeley, and Rich Mendez. “CDC says fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear face masks indoors or outdoors in most settings.” CNBC, 13 May 2021, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/13/cdc-says-fully-vaccinated-people-dont-need-to-wear-face-masks-indoors-or-outdoors-in-most-settings.html.

# data[].attributes.headline
On going places without a mask once I'm fully vaccinated:

# data[].attributes.subject
On going places without a mask once I'm fully vaccinated:

# data[].attributes.headline
Waiting to see how the Fourth of July plays out:

# data[].attributes.subject
Waiting to see how the Fourth of July plays out:

# data[].attributes.body
This article relates to what we learned in class because it specifically talks about vaccination, which is something we learned about. For example, the reason why people are able to go out without masks is because their body has developed  defenses to the coronavirus because they are vaccinated. In class we learned that when we get vaccinated, "the body gains experience with that specific pathogen and can fight it with no problem in the future," and that vaccinations generally help communities gain immunity to a pathogen (6.3: Infectious Diseases).

Another connection to what we learned is when it mentions immune systems. In class we learned that "despite the fact that we come into contact with pathogens every day, we are seldom ill" and that this is due to our effective immune system (Walpole, et al. 202). The article warns that "People with compromised immune systems should speak with their doctor before giving up their masks" (Lovelace Jr and Mendez). And this is because their immune systems aren't strong enough to simply fight against a pathogen it comes into contact with.

# data[].attributes.body
One attribute I could work on as a senior and as a college student is balance. This is because, especially this year, I feel like I don't really have a good balance going on. It's hard to manage the IB course work as well as extracurricular clubs and sports and also making time for yourself to take a break from all that. For example, during this last month of school I've really been focused on getting all my work done and neglecting everything else, and that's not balance. Going into senior year establishing a balance is important so I can make the most of the year in every aspect. It would also be very helpful going into college to already have a good balance because the college environment will be so new.

# data[].attributes.body
This is my favorite task from 10th grade bio, mostly because it was one of the few assignments I did in school before quarantine started. I'm also proud of it because I was still getting used to doing flipgrids, and I think this one turned out pretty well!

# data[].attributes.body
The reason why a fully vaccinated person no longer needs to wear a mask is because the mask serves as a measure of defense against COVID-19, but the vaccinations provide a person with a more effective measure of defense; antigens, which cause the body to produce antibodies against the disease (Walpole, et al. 202). This way, if a vaccinated person is infected with the coronavirus, their body already has a strong line of defense against it and severe sickness can be avoided.