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FACT BRIEF

Did the CDC lift mask guidelines 'out of the blue with no solid explanation'?

By Alexis Tereszcuk
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NO

The CDC revised the rules to allow fully vaccinated individuals to stop wearing masks outdoors and in many indoor settings on May 13, 2021, after COVID-19 case numbers had dropped significantly, more people were getting vaccinated and the coronavirus response was improving.

At a news conference on May 13, 2021, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky explained what the new guidelines were.

"If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic." she said.

The CDC released its "Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People" on the same day.

Dr. Rita Burke, epidemiologist at USC's Keck School of Medicine, explained to Lead Stories why the guidelines were not relaxed "out of the blue" as a social media post claimed:

"We know now if you have been vaccinated you are not at risk of critical illness."

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
CNBC White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials hold briefing — 5/13/2021
Centers for Disease Control Science Brief: Background Rationale and Evidence for Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.