Vaccinated or not: Doctors warn against Super Bowl watch parties
Health experts are reminding those who've been vaccinated that they still need to take the same precautions as they did prior.
The warning comes ahead of Super Bowl weekend, when people may be tempted to ignore the rules.
Across Wisconsin, nearly 700,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered…
"After you get the first dose, you can get this sense that the pandemic is over, at least for you," UW Health Dr. Jeff Pothof said.
But the majority of those doses have gone to people receiving their first shot. Two shots are currently needed for protection from the virus.
"After that first dose, you’re really not afforded a whole lot of immunity," he said.
Even after receiving the second shot, Dr. Pothof says those who’ve been vaccinated should still social distance and mask up.
"Here’s the catch that a lot of people don’t realize: What we don’t know yet about these vaccines if you can get the virus and spread it to other people."
The warning is especially important ahead of the Super Bowl. Although the Packers aren’t playing, many Wisconsinites will likely be tuning in and may be tempted to head to a friend's house for a watch party.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is cautioning against just that, writing on Facebook.. "Staying home on Super Bowl Sunday helps stop the spread of COVID-19."
"If we wanted to paint a perfect scenario for a super spreader event or a lot of people to get the virus, we really couldn’t do much better than a Super Bowl watch party," he said. "You have people who are close together, they are typically unmasked because they’re almost always eating."
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Instead, Pothof says the best defense against the virus is to continue playing offense and watch the big game with a small circle.
Dr. Pothof says once the majority of the population is vaccinated, it won't matter as much if the vaccine doesn't stop the spread of the virus because people will be protected regardless.
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