If I am vaccinated, do I need to be tested for COVID-19?

Yes, if you have ever been around COVID-19 patients.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have been fully vaccinated must be tested within three to five days of potential exposure.

This change comes just two months after the agency relaxed its initial testing guidelines. The CDC stated that vaccinated individuals are at low risk of developing serious illnesses and should not be tested for them in any case, even if they were exposed to someone with a disease. It was assumed that people who had been vaccinated wouldn't spread the disease to others.

The agency claims it is reversing its guidance due to the contagious delta variant which now accounts for the majority of COVID-19 infection.

Although the COVID-19 vaccines still protect people from serious illness, new data by the CDC shows that people vaccinated with the delta variant of the virus could spread it to others.

Physicians, nurses, and other health care workers should talk to their employers as some may need routine testing. There are generally higher testing requirements for people who work in homeless shelters or prisons.

All U.S. citizens who return from overseas must still present a negative COVID-19 screening before they can board their flight home. This applies regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated. The CDC advises that anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to remain isolated for a period of 10 days.