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Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021

Was President Biden correct in saying fully vaccinated people cannot spread COVID-19 if they are infected?

Alexis Tereszcuk, Lead Stories

no

According to the Centers for Disease Control, "vaccinated people can still become infected and have the potential to spread the virus to others, although at much lower rates than unvaccinated people."

President Biden incorrectly stated that vaccinated health care workers cannot spread the coronavirus if they are infected after receiving their full doses. Speaking to a group in Illinois on October 7, 2021, Biden said, "If you seek care at a health care facility, you should have the certainty that the people providing that care are protected from COVID and cannot spread it to you."

This is not true. The CDC has stated the opposite — fully vaccinated people can contract COVID-19 and spread the virus to other people.

The CDC also addressed the delta variant and warned that those fully vaccinated but infected with COVID-19 can still spread the virus.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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