Category Archives: Coronavirus

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Five dead in Solano County – COVID-19 report on February 2

By Roger Straw, Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Solano is still in the PURPLE tier – the virus is still spreading and deadly.  This is not over!

Tuesday, February 2: 99 new Solano cases overnight, 5 new deaths.  Since February 2020: 28,290 cases, over 830 hospitalized, 127 deaths.Compare previous report, Monday, February 1:Summary

[From Solano County Public Health and others, see sources below.  For a running archive of daily County updates, see my Excel ARCHIVE. 
    • Solano County reported 99 new cases overnight, total of 28,290 cases since the outbreak started.  In the month of January, Solano added 8,495 new cases, for an AVERAGE of 274 new cases per day.
    • Deaths – the County reported 5 new deaths today, one aged 50-64 and 4 others over 65 years of age; a total of 127 Solano deaths since the pandemic began.  Only once before (on December 8, 2020) were 5 new COVID deaths reported in a single day – what’s going on?!  In the month of January, Solano recorded 24 coronavirus deaths, for an AVERAGE of nearly 1 per day.  While many other COVID stats are improving, the recent surge in deaths is no doubt the final sad result of our holiday surge.
    • Active cases – Solano reported 79 fewer active cases today, a total of 1,158 active cases.  Compare: Solano’s average number of Active Cases during October was 284, average in November was 650, in December 1,658 – and TODAY we are at 1,158.  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  My guess is we just sit back and wait for a voluntary 10 day quarantine to expire.  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano has offered no reports on contact tracing.
    • Hospitalizations – (See expanding ICU capacity and ventilator availability below.)  Today, Solano reported 11 fewer currently hospitalized cases, total of 118.  However, in the number of hospitalizations among age groups, the county reported an increase of 2 new hospitalizations.  The County reported 1 hospitalization in the 50-64 year age group and 1 more in the 65+ age group, for a total of 832 hospitalized in all age groups since the pandemic began.) Even then, accuracy cannot be certain – note>>  In a December 31 Fairfield Daily Republic article, reporter Todd Hanson wrote, “Since the start of the pandemic, and as of Wednesday, 9,486 residents have been hospitalized.”  This startling number is far and away above the number of residents hospitalized as indicated in the County’s count of age group hospitalizations, and not available anywhere on the County’s COVID-19 dashboard.  Asked about his source, Hanson replied that Solano Public Health “had to do a little research on my behalf.”  It would be good if the County could add Total Hospitalized to its daily Dashboard update.  [For the numbers used in my manual calculation of total hospitalizations, see age group stats below.  For COVID19-CA.GOV numbers, see BenIndy page, COVID-19 Hospitalizations Daily Update for Solano County.]
    • ICU Beds – Solano hospitals recently expanded their ICU capacity [see Benicia Independent, “Why the sudden improvement in our ICU bed numbers?“]  Even with the expanded ICU capacity, Solano County has dropped back and remains in the YELLOW DANGER ZONE in ICU beds available, down from 23% yesterday, to 22% today.  The State’s COVID19-CA.GOV reported today that Solano County had ONLY 10 AVAILABLE ICU BEDS as of yesterday, February 1.  (For COVID19-CA.GOV info see BenIndy page, COVID-19 Hospitalizations Daily Update for Solano County, and for REGIONAL data see COVID-19 ICU Bed Availability by REGION.)
    • Ventilators available – Last week, for the first time since July 24 of last year, Solano County is reporting the percentage of ventilators available.  Today Solano hospitals have 51% of ventilators available, same as yesterday and down substantially from last summer’s reports of 82-94% available.
Positive Test Rate – SOLANO TEST RATE REMAINS ALARMINGLY HIGH, 14.4% – VIRUS STILL SPREADING, STAY HOME!

Solano County reported our 7-day average positive test at an alarming rate of 14.4%, down from yesterday’s 14.8%, but still well above the State’s purple tier threshold of 8%.  Average percent positive test rates are among the best metrics for measuring community spread of the virus.  COMPARE: The much lower and more stable California 7-day average test rate was down slightly from yesterday’s 6.5% to 6.4% today.  (Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity line graph which also shows daily results.  However, the chart does not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  The 7-day curve therefore also lags behind due to unknown recent test results.) 

By Age Group
  • Youth 17 and under – 12 new cases overnight, total of 3,277 cases, representing 11.6% of the 28,290 total cases.  No new hospitalizations reported today among this age group, total of 17 since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deaths have ever been reported in Solano County in this age group.  But cases among Solano youth rose steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% on August 31 and has plateaued at over 11% since September 30.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is this: youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact at least 17 of our youth have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 57 new cases overnight, total of 15,615 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 55.2% of the total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations among persons in this age group today.  A total of 242 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.  Solano recorded no new deaths in this young group today, total of 9 deaths.  Some in this group are surely at high risk, as many are providing essential services among us, and some may be ignoring public health orders.  I expect this group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 15 new cases overnight, total of 5,926 cases.  This age group represents 21% of the 28,290 total cases.  The County reported 1 new hospitalization among persons in this age group today.  A total of 224 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.  1 new death was reported in this age group today, a total of 19 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 15 new cases overnight, total of 3,461, representing 12.2% of Solano’s 28,290 total cases.  The County reported 1 new hospitalization among persons in this age group today, a total of 349 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  4 new deaths were  reported in this age group today.  A total of 99 of our elders have died of COVID, accounting for 78% of Solano’s 127 total deaths.
City Data
  • Benicia added 2 new cases overnight, total of 805 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon added 5 new cases overnight, total of 1,679 cases.
  • Fairfield added 22 new cases overnight, total of 7,755 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 1 new case overnight, total of 268 cases.
  • Suisun City added 3 new cases overnight, total of 1,910 cases.
  • Vacaville added 31 new cases overnight, total of 7,482 cases.
  • Vallejo added 35 new cases overnight, total of 8305 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 86 cases.
Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  Note that all of this data surely undercounts Latinx Americans, as there is a large group of “Multirace / Others” which likely is composed mostly of Latinx members of our communities.

  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 12% of cases, 12% of hospitalizations, and 17% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 17% of hospitalizations, and 23% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 13% of cases, 21% of hospitalizations, and 14% of deaths.
  • Multi-race / Others are 7% of Solano’s population, but account for 35% of cases, 18% of hospitalizations, and 12% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 29% of cases, 30% of hospitalizations and 33% of deaths.
More…

The County’s Coronavirus Dashboard is full of much more information, too extensive to cover here on a daily basis.  The Benicia Independent will continue to summarize daily and highlight significant portions.  For more, check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

Source
Source: Solano County Coronavirus Dashboard (posted on the County website late today).  ALSO see important daily updates from the state of California at COVID19.CA.GOV, embedded here on the BenIndy at Cases and Deaths AND Hospitalizations AND ICU Beds by REGION.
Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

COVID-19 in Solano County – January totals, and 485 new cases over the weekend

By Roger Straw, Monday, February 1, 2021

Case totals for the month of January and daily averages BY CITY.
Get vaccinated!  Otherwise, stay home whenever possible – this is not over!

Monday, February 1: 485 new Solano cases over the weekend, no new deaths.  Since Feb 2020: 28,191 cases, over 830 hospitalized, 122 deaths.Compare previous report, Friday, Jan. 29:Summary

[From Solano County Public Health and others, see sources below.  For a running archive of daily County updates, see my Excel ARCHIVE. 
    • Solano County reported 485 new cases over the weekend, total of 28,191 cases since the outbreak started.  In the month of January, Solano added 8,495 new cases, for an AVERAGE of 274 new cases per day.
    • Deaths – the County reported no new deaths today; a total of 122 Solano deaths since the pandemic began.  In the month of January, Solano recorded 24 coronavirus deaths, for an AVERAGE of nearly 1 per day.  While many other COVID stats are improving, the recent surge in deaths is the final sad result of our holiday surge.
    • Active cases – Solano reported 321 fewer active cases today, a total of 1,237 active cases.  Compare: Solano’s average number of Active Cases during October was 284, average in November was 650, in December 1,658 – and TODAY we are at 1,237.  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  My guess is we just sit back and wait for a voluntary 10 day quarantine to expire.  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano has offered no reports on contact tracing.
    • Hospitalizations – (See expanding ICU capacity and ventilator availability below.)  Today, Solano reported 8 fewer currently hospitalized cases, total of 129.  However, in the number of hospitalizations among age groups, the county reported an increase of 10 new hospitalizations.  The County reported 1 hospitalization in the 18-49 age group, 1 in the 50-64 year age group and 8 more in the 65+ age group, for a total of 830 hospitalized in all age groups since the pandemic began.) Even then, accuracy cannot be certain – note>>  In a December 31 Fairfield Daily Republic article, reporter Todd Hanson wrote, “Since the start of the pandemic, and as of Wednesday, 9,486 residents have been hospitalized.”  This startling number is far and away above the number of residents hospitalized as indicated in the County’s count of age group hospitalizations, and not available anywhere on the County’s COVID-19 dashboard.  Asked about his source, Hanson replied that Solano Public Health “had to do a little research on my behalf.”  It would be good if the County could add Total Hospitalized to its daily Dashboard update.  [For the numbers used in my manual calculation of total hospitalizations, see age group stats below.  For COVID19-CA.GOV numbers, see BenIndy page, COVID-19 Hospitalizations Daily Update for Solano County.]
    • ICU Beds – Solano hospitals recently expanded their ICU capacity [see Benicia Independent, “Why the sudden improvement in our ICU bed numbers?“]  Even with the expanded ICU capacity, Solano County has dropped back and remained in the YELLOW DANGER ZONE in ICU beds available, up from 13% Friday, to 23% today.  The State’s COVID19-CA.GOV reported today that Solano County had ONLY 10 AVAILABLE ICU BEDS as of yesterday, January 31.  (For COVID19-CA.GOV info see BenIndy page, COVID-19 Hospitalizations Daily Update for Solano County, and for REGIONAL data see COVID-19 ICU Bed Availability by REGION.)
    • Ventilators available – Last week, for the first time since July 24 of last year, Solano County is reporting the percentage of ventilators available.  Today Solano hospitals have 51% of ventilators available, up from 49% Friday but down substantially from last summer’s reports of 82-94% available.
Positive Test Rate – SOLANO TEST RATE REMAINS ALARMINGLY HIGH, 14.8% – VIRUS STILL SPREADING, STAY HOME!

Solano County reported our 7-day average positive test at an alarming rate of 14.8%, down from Friday’s 16.9%, but still well above the State’s purple tier threshold of 8%.  Average percent positive test rates are among the best metrics for measuring community spread of the virus.  COMPARE: The much lower and more stable California 7-day average test rate was down from Friday’s 7.4% to 6.5% today.  (Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity line graph which also shows daily results.  However, the chart does not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  The 7-day curve therefore also lags behind due to unknown recent test results.) 

By Age Group
  • Youth 17 and under – 52 new cases over the weekend, total of 3,265 cases, representing 11.6% of the 28,191 total cases.  No new hospitalizations reported today among this age group, total of 17 since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deaths have ever been reported in Solano County in this age group.  But cases among Solano youth rose steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% on August 31 and has plateaued at over 11% since September 30.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is this: youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact at least 17 of our youth have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 266 new cases over the weekend, total of 15,558 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 55.2% of the total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported 1 new hospitalization among persons in this age group today.  A total of 242 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.  Solano recorded no new deaths in this young group today, total of 9 deaths.  Some in this group are surely at high risk, as many are providing essential services among us, and some may be ignoring public health orders.  I expect this group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 110 new cases over the weekend, total of 5,911 cases.  This age group represents 21% of the 28,191 total cases.  The County reported 1 new hospitalization among persons in this age group today.  A total of 223 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths were reported in this age group today, a total of 18 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 57 new cases over the weekend, total of 3,446, representing 12.2% of Solano’s 28,191 total cases.  The County reported 8 new hospitalizations among persons in this age group today, a total of 348 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths were  reported in this age group today.  A total of 95 of our elders have died of COVID, accounting for 78% of Solano’s 122 total deaths.
City Data
  • Benicia added 21 new cases over the weekend, total of 803 cases since the outbreak began.  274 new cases in January, avg. of 8.8 per day.
  • Dixon added 29 new cases over the weekend, total of 1,674 cases.  424 new cases in January, avg. of 14 per day.
  • Fairfield added 110 new cases over the weekend, total of 7,733 cases.  2,180 new cases in January, avg. of 70 per day.
  • Rio Vista added 3 new cases over the weekend, total of 267 cases.  99 new cases in January, avg. of 3 per day.
  • Suisun City added 19 new cases over the weekend, total of 1,907 cases.  542 new cases in January, avg. of 17 per day.
  • Vacaville added 140 new cases over the weekend, total of 7,451 cases.  2,457 new cases in January, avg. of 79 per day.
  • Vallejo added 163 new cases over the weekend, total of 8270 cases.  2,494 new cases in January, avg. of 80 per day.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 86 cases.  25 new cases in January, avg. of nearly 1 per day.
Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  Note that all of this data surely undercounts Latinx Americans, as there is a large group of “Multirace / Others” which likely is composed mostly of Latinx members of our communities.

  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 12% of cases, 12% of hospitalizations, and 17% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 17% of hospitalizations, and 22% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 13% of cases, 22% of hospitalizations, and 15% of deaths.
  • Multi-race / Others are 7% of Solano’s population, but account for 35% of cases, 18% of hospitalizations, and 12% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 29% of cases, 30% of hospitalizations and 34% of deaths.
More…

The County’s Coronavirus Dashboard is full of much more information, too extensive to cover here on a daily basis.  The Benicia Independent will continue to summarize daily and highlight significant portions.  For more, check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

Source
Source: Solano County Coronavirus Dashboard (posted on the County website late today).  ALSO see important daily updates from the state of California at COVID19.CA.GOV, embedded here on the BenIndy at Cases and Deaths AND Hospitalizations AND ICU Beds by REGION.
City of Benicia, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Vaccine

Benicia COVID vaccine clinic – This Tuesday is full, but you can sign up for a future clinic

Benicia City Manager Erik Upson, City of Benicia This Week, Feb. 1, 2021
UPDATE from the City website on 2/1: “Anyone interested in volunteering for future vaccine events should go to tinyurl.com/VolunteerBenicia and enter your name, contact information, how you would like to volunteer and any special training or skills you have. We will reach out to you, if we can use your services and skills at future events.”

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Seniors

The City of Benicia announced Friday that it is hosting Solano Public Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Tuesday, February 2. The clinic is being held for seniors, aged 75 and above, who reside in Solano County. Due to overwhelming response, all 1,400 slots filled by Saturday evening.

Solano Public Health is working to schedule additional vaccine events as vaccine stock becomes available. Those, aged 75 and above, interested in future Benicia clinics may visit www.tinyurl.com/beniciavaccine and leave their name and contact information. City of Benicia staff will reach out if another local clinic is scheduled. Information on COVID-19 vaccinations in Solano County and announcements of additional clinics are available at https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/ph/.

The Moderna vaccine will be administered to registered seniors at Benicia Senior Center on Tuesday. The second dose of the vaccine will be administered in the same location on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Seniors are to return for the second dose at the same appointment time.

“The City of Benicia is excited to offer this vaccination clinic on very short notice to seniors over age 75,” said Mayor Steve Young. “Many thanks are due to our great city staff who worked over the weekend, in coordination with Solano Public Health and Carquinez Village, to set this up. This is a very ambitious effort, and we ask the public for a certain level of patience as we attempt to vaccinate nearly 1,400 people in a single day.”

On Tuesday, check-in will be at Benicia City Gym, 180 East L Street. Because of limited, socially distant waiting space available, seniors are asked to arrive no more than 15 minutes before their appointment. Appointments will be honored even if lines cause delay. One caretaker is allowed with the person being vaccinated. Caretakers will not receive the vaccination.

Due to heavy traffic expected in the area, limited parking will be available.

Suggested options:

• Those who are more mobile are asked to use street parking farther away and walk in.
• There will be a dedicated drop-off zone in front of the City Gym for less ambulatory seniors. Please do not wait for seniors and linger in the pick-up or drop-off zones to prevent further congestion. Keep in touch with your seniors before picking them up.
• Carpooling with those in the same social bubble is encouraged.

• Soltrans is assisting by providing free shuttles to and from dedicated parking lots:

• Benicia Community Center, 370 East L Street
• Benicia Unified School District Office, 350 East K Street

The City of Benicia thanks neighbors and businesses in the area for their patience and understanding on this important vaccination day.

Carquinez Village, the Benicia senior support organization, worked to help facilitate seniors getting their vaccines. Carquinez Village president Susan Neuhaus said, “Carquinez Village is delighted the city of Benicia has stepped up to serve the older adults in our community.”

Upon arrival, seniors will receive a temperature check and be required to wear a mask and social distance throughout the entire process. During check-in, seniors will be required to show proof of age and proof of Solano County residency.

After check-in, seniors will be directed to the Benicia Senior Center where they will be vaccinated, then be observed for 15-30 minutes. The entire process may take up to one hour. After which, seniors may be picked up from the dedicated pick-up zone in the round-about in front of Benicia Public Library, 150 East L Street, or return to their shuttle stop.

City of Benicia staff and volunteers will be manning a dedicated phone line 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Tuesday at 707.746.4710 to assist with questions or issues that may arise.

“The opportunity to host the clinic came about quickly and involves nearly every City of Benicia staff member,” said City Manager Erik Upson. “We will assess the event on Tuesday and use that to improve the experience when we host the follow-up clinic to administer the second dose on March 2.”

Upson also thanks Solano Public Health, Kaiser Permanente, SolTrans, Medic Ambulance, Carquinez Village, Valero Benicia Refinery, Rotary Club of Benicia and numerous community volunteers for their generous assistance in making the clinic possible.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Vaccine

Many who have received the coronavirus vaccine wonder: What can I safely do?

The vaccinated ponder how to live their lives and, in a role reversal, are trying to protect their children

After being vaccinated, Marc Wilson, 70, a retired accountant in Norman, Okla., plans to go back to some activities but not others.
After being vaccinated, Marc Wilson, 70, a retired accountant in Norman, Okla., plans to go back to some activities but not others. (Nick Oxford/For The Washington Post)

Soon after Marc Wilson gets his second dose of coronavirus vaccine, he plans to resume one of his pre-pandemic joys: swimming laps with his friends. But most other activities — including volunteering at a food pantry and homeless shelter — will be off-limits until the outbreak is curbed and scientists know more about the threat of emerging variants.

“I can definitely broaden the things I do, but I still have to be quite cautious,” said Wilson, 70, a retired accountant in Norman, Okla., who has diabetes and other health problems. “When your doctor tells you, ‘If you get covid, you’re dead,’ that gets your attention real good.”

The arrival of coronavirus vaccines is beginning to have an impact on everyday life, with millions of newly inoculated Americans eagerly anticipating a return to long-postponed activities and visits with sorely missed relatives and friends. But with Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, warning that vaccinations are not a “pass,” the recently inoculated are engaged in a new round of complicated risk-benefit assessments. What can I safely do? Where can I go? And how do I interact with people who are not vaccinated?

The answers aren’t simple. In the meantime, the asymmetric nature of the rollout — with many older Americans and health-care workers receiving shots first, while tens of millions of others await their turns — is shifting relationships in families and in society more broadly. Grandparents who once hunkered down at home, most vulnerable to a virus that preys on the elderly, are likely to be better protected than younger relatives who are waiting to be vaccinated.

Experts agree broadly on many issues people have questions about. But they differ on details and lack some important information. They still don’t know, for example, whether people who are vaccinated can get asymptomatic infections and pass them on to those who are not inoculated — which is why they urge people to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing even after receiving their shots. Scientists also are racing to determine how much protection vaccines offer against the highly transmissible variants popping up in the United States.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are about 95 percent effective against the original version of the virus and highly effective against a variant first found in Britain. New data show vaccines by Novavax and Johnson & Johnson also provide robust protection. But, based on early data, the vaccines appear less potent against a variant that was first identified in South Africa and has been found in the United States.

One thing is clear: Reports of mutated coronaviruses are fueling anxiety and confusion in a populace already worn out by conflicting advice on a pandemic that has been raging for nearly a year in the United States.

People wait in line for the coronavirus vaccine in Paterson, N.J., on Jan. 21. The first people arrived around 2:30 a.m. at one of the few sites that does not require an appointment.

People wait in line for the coronavirus vaccine in Paterson, N.J., on Jan. 21. The first people arrived around 2:30 a.m. at one of the few sites that does not require an appointment. (Seth Wenig/AP)

“It’s brutally hard,” said Robert Wachter, chief of the medicine department at the University of California at San Francisco. “For the past year, we have had our game plan for living and now we have these curveballs — the increased prevalence of the virus, the variants and the vaccines. We have all had to learn to be armchair epidemiologists and now we have these new realities.”

Wachter, 64, who recently got his second shot, said he feels comfortable doing a few things he did not do before being vaccinated, such as going to the dentist and having his hair cut professionally, rather than by his wife, who has not been vaccinated. But he is careful to avoid doing anything that could increase her risk.

He does not plan to dine indoors with people outside his household, even if they are vaccinated, until the coronavirus is much less prevalent and not able to circulate freely. Earlier in the pandemic, experts thought such herd immunity could be achieved after 70 to 75 percent of people were vaccinated or had developed natural immunity from previous coronavirus infections. But the level of coverage may need to be even higher — 80 to 85 percent — if a more transmissible strain becomes dominant, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. That could delay herd immunity until the fall or later, scientists say.

Wachter and several older Americans who were recently vaccinated told The Washington Post they consider themselves fortunate to have gotten the shots and realize navigating the uncertainties of a post-vaccine life is a good problem to have. Many are being conservative — birthday parties in crowded bars are not on their agendas — and using their new status to help others who remain unprotected, including adult children who previously had been anxious about their parents’ vulnerability.

For months, Jan Solomon, 69, has been doing the grocery shopping so her 72-year-old husband does not have to go to the store. Now she and her husband, both of whom are getting vaccinated, are focusing on their 35-year-old son, who is temporarily living at their home in Washington and unlikely to be inoculated for months.

“We will definitely still wear masks, not go into restaurants and keep our distance” from others, she said. “We need to protect our son and don’t want to be carriers.”

Many public health experts say while vaccinated people can enjoy a bit more freedom — flying while masked, for example, is far less of a risk after inoculation — behavior should not change much. Besides the concern that inoculated people might serve as carriers of the virus, they note a small number might still get covid-19 while the virus is circulating so widely, although the chances of hospitalization or death are low.

Melanie Swift, co-director of the Mayo Clinic’s vaccination-distribution program, said she would not fly for pleasure, only for work. Given the high level of virus in much of the United States, geriatrician June McKoy of Northwestern Medicine said even people who are vaccinated need to be careful when visiting inoculated elderly relatives, and should wear masks and sanitize their hands.

“The vaccine is not a get-out-of-jail-free card,” she said.

Robert Califf, 69, a cardiologist and Food and Drug Administration commissioner during the Obama administration, agreed people need to take precautions after being vaccinated. But he cautioned doctors against being overly rigid in their prescriptions for post-vaccine life. “People won’t believe you,” he said.

A few weeks after he and his wife get two doses of vaccine, they plan to fly from North Carolina to Colorado to see both sets of grandchildren and will use “testing, masking and modified social distancing” during the trip to keep risks low.

Some doctors say public health experts should emphasize the upside of vaccines and not dwell on what people can’t do after being inoculated. “Doom-and-gloom messaging” is not an effective way to encourage people to get the shots, said Monica Gandhi, an infectious-disease specialist at UCSF. “You have to message hope and optimism.”

She said she doesn’t see a problem with two couples who are vaccinated having dinner indoors together — something Swift and some other doctors advised against until the pandemic is curtailed.

Gandhi said her parents, who are in their 80s, plan to fly to California to visit her after they are vaccinated and then go on to Boston to see her sister and brother. “It’s the only thing they can talk about,” she said, adding, “We need to recognize plain old loneliness. To think it isn’t real belies the very process of evolution that led primates to gather together in groups. It is actually what makes us human.”

She also doubts that people who have received both doses of the vaccines will be able to transmit much of the virus, and points to data from Moderna that showed a sharp drop in transmission after the first dose. Many other scientists say she may be right but that more data is needed.

As the debates among experts continue, many older people who are being vaccinated welcome the possibility of returning to favorite pastimes, hugging a loved one and taking better care of themselves.

Barry MacKichan, a 76-year-old software developer in Hillsborough, N.C., is eager to resume photographing wildlife from somewhere other than his backyard. He also hopes his daughter and three grandchildren, who live in New Zealand, will be able to visit him this summer, an annual tradition disrupted by the pandemic. That may not be until July, after the children are vaccinated.

In the meantime, MacKichan and his wife plan to continue to wear masks “in moral support for everyone else who has to.”

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security, welcomes that attitude. She is worried that unless people who are vaccinated continue to wear masks, the United States could become a two-tiered society in which people who are inoculated say, “I can do what I want.” She added: “It causes a social hierarchy based on immune status, and that is bad news.”

Erin Fusco, 45, a nurse and assistant professor at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, will soon receive her second dose of vaccine. Fucso has gone back to the gym she missed badly and uses the treadmill and weights. And she has scheduled a mammogram and a colonoscopy she postponed last year.

But as for other pre-pandemic behaviors, she said: “I’m waiting for someone to tell us that it’s safe.” She said she wants politicians including New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) or President Biden to authorize a return to normalcy.

President Biden visits a covid-19 vaccination site at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. (Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

President Biden visits a covid-19 vaccination site at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. (Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

Katie Clapp, 56, is more expansive about her post-inoculation plans. After she gets her second dose, she plans to restart horseback riding lessons for children at the stable she runs in Stillwater, Minn., to go out to dinner with friends and to visit a new grandchild in Malibu, Calif.

“I’m so excited,” said Clapp, who got vaccinated at a Minneapolis clinic that had extra doses.

But she has become a bit more cautious as virus variants emerge. “If variants make the vaccines less than 95 percent effective, what does that mean?” she said. “Ninety-five percent to what percent?”

The answer to that question and others, experts hope, will come in the next several months, as vaccine makers and the government scrutinize the effect of the vaccines on the variants.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NPR the government and industry are trying to stay “a step or two ahead” of the variants and the manufacturers are coming up with new versions of their vaccines “just in case” they are needed.

In the meantime, he said, he continues to wear a mask and take other precautions even though he has been vaccinated.

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