ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)- The number of New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is approaching three million. More than five million have received one dose as of Wednesday, according to the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker.

Vaccinated people may feel a sense of relief but be wondering what the perks are of being fully vaccinated?

The first thing people should keep in mind is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers people to be fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and two weeks after receiving Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.

CDC guidelines for fully vaccinated people

For now, being fully vaccinated will give people greater leniency for social gatherings at home but doesn’t change overall public guidance. Fully vaccinated people can get together with other fully vaccinated family members or friends without having to wear a mask, according to the CDC.

Vaccinated people also need not quarantine or get tested for COVID-19 if they are exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus, as long as they have no symptoms. Guidance changes for people living in a group setting. The CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people living in a group setting exposed to someone with COVID-19 should keep away from others for 14 days and get tested.

Even with high efficacy rates of the COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC said fully vaccinated people should continue to social distance and wear a mask in public. Why? Although research is continuing regarding the efficacy of vaccines against variants the safest way to keep everyone, vaccinated and non-vaccinated, is to continue with these practices.

“Public health recommendations for people fully vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines must consider the evidence, including vaccine efficacy against symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19, as well as vaccine impact on SARS-CoV-2 transmission,” the CDC wrote in a science brief.