© 2026 ABC News

\"PHOTO:
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: Travelers check-in for an El Al flight to Israel at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) amid increased Covid-19 travel restrictions, Jan. 25, 2021 in Los Angeles.
>

The CDC said Monday that people who are fully vaccinated -- meaning at least two weeks after receiving all necessary doses the vaccine -- can gather with other vaccinated individuals in small groups without wearing masks or social distancing. Fully vaccinated individuals can also spend time with people who aren't vaccinated as long as they are at low risk for disease and keep it to small groups and wear masks if the people who aren't vaccinated are from multiple households.

But any of those gatherings, like grandparents visiting unvaccinated grandkids, are limited by location, Walensky said, because the CDC still wants people to refrain from traveling.

\"We would like to give the opportunity for vaccinated grandparents to visit their children and grandchildren who are healthy and who are local, but our travel guidance currently has been unchanged,\" she said.

Walensky said that because the vast majority of the population still isn't vaccinated, the CDC needs to prioritize keeping those people safe, especially if people who are vaccinated can still transmit the virus. According to CDC data, 12% of adults have received two doses of the vaccines, but 9.2% of the total population, including those under 18.

\"I think it's important to realize, as we're -- as we're working through this, that still over 90% of the population has not yet been vaccinated, and that it’s our responsibility to make sure, in the context of 60,000 new cases a day, that we protect those who remain unvaccinated and remain vulnerable,\" she said.

White House Senior COVID-19 Adviser Andy Slavitt said the administration does believe that being able to travel is motivating some people to get vaccinated and that they hope to increase the list of what vaccinated Americans are able to do, but that CDC will only do that when the data supports that it is safe.

Walensky said the CDC will update the guidance on what vaccinated individuals can do safely as more people get the vaccines but until then the focus should be on protecting people who aren't vaccinated from contracting the virus.

\"The recommendations issued today are just a first step. As more people get vaccinated and the science and evidence expands, and as the disease dynamics of this country change, we will continue to update this guidance,\" she said.

\"Importantly, our guidance must be -- must balance the risk to people who have been fully vaccinated, the risks to those who have not yet received the vaccine, and the impact on the larger community transmission of COVID-19 with -- when we are -- what we all recognize to be the overall benefits of resuming everyday activities and getting back to something -- to some of the things we love in life.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/cdc-endorsing-travel-vaccinated-individuals-risks-surge-cases/story?id=76324933","legacySlug":"/news/story/cdc-endorsing-travel-vaccinated-individuals-risks-surge-cases-76324933","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"19:24","publishDate":"03-08-2021","updatedTime":"12:19","updatedDate":"03-09-2021","socialImage":{"alt":"Travelers check-in for an El Al flight to Israel at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) amid increased Covid-19 travel restrictions, Jan. 25, 2021 in Los Angeles.","credit":"Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/travelers-airport-01-file-gty-jef-210308_1615229335716_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"3/8/2021 19:24:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":76324933,"headline":"Why CDC doesn't want Americans to travel","mediaAssetTitle":"CDC NOT ENDORSING TRAVEL FOR VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS","description":"CDC will revisit recommendations as more Americans get vaccinated. ","duration":"4:03","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/03/210308_wn_oquendo_632_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["76320421","76240344","76277557"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"March 8, 2021","headline":"Fully vaccinated individuals can go without masks, distancing in some cases: CDC","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/cdc-vaccinated-individuals-socialize-masks-distancing-76320421","id":76320421,"image":{"alt":"Fully vaccinated individuals can go without masks, distancing in some cases: CDC","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/vaccination-line-new-york-gty-jt-210305_1614963620022_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"March 5, 2021","headline":"Experts weigh in on traveling amid the pandemic and explain why you should book early","section":"travel","slug":"/travel/story/experts-weigh-safe-travel-summer-bookings-surge-76240344","id":76240344,"image":{"alt":"Experts weigh in on traveling amid the pandemic and explain why you should book early","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/gma-summer-travel-02-gty-llr-210304_1614906327054_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"STOCK IMAGE/Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"March 5, 2021","headline":"When will life return to normal? Experts consider what summer, fall might look like ","section":"news","slug":"/news/story/life-return-normal-covid-experts-summer-fall-76277557","id":76277557,"image":{"alt":"When will life return to normal? Experts consider what summer, fall might look like ","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/vaccination-line-new-york-gty-jt-210305_1614963620022_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Why CDC doesn't want Americans to travel","description":"CDC will revisit recommendations as more Americans get vaccinated. ","duration":"4:03","uploadDate":"03-08-2021","publication":"03-08-2021","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/03/210308_wn_oquendo_632_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/03/210308_wn_oquendo_632_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/cdc-endorsing-travel-vaccinated-individuals-risks-surge-cases-76324933"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131033212","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130999943","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130971027","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Why CDC doesn't want Americans to travel","pubTime":"14:24","pubDate":"03-08-2021","modTime":"07:19","modDate":"03-09-2021","taxonomyTags":"none","id":76324933,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Why CDC doesn't want Americans to travel","mediaAssetTitle":"CDC NOT ENDORSING TRAVEL FOR VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS","videoId":76324933,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/cdc-endorsing-travel-vaccinated-individuals-risks-surge-cases-76324933"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/76324933","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/76324933","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};