MA Coronavirus Restrictions, Masks May Be Here 6 to 9 More Months

BOSTON, MA — While the first coronavirus vaccines could be arriving in the state within a week, the need to wear a face mask is not going away anytime soon.

It could be six to nine months before enough residents are vaccinated to where it is safe to significantly relax coronavirus-related restrictions, ease up on social distancing guidelines and ditch those face masks.

"What we know about vaccines is that they dramatically lower your risk of needing hospitalization or dying," Dr. Paul Biddinger, chair of the state's COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group and chief of disaster medicine at MGH, said at a Wednesday news conference with Gov. Charlie Baker. "They protect you. What we don't know is whether they completely protect you from getting a low-level infection and transmitting the illness.

"Until we get to high enough levels of vaccination, we need to be following the same guidance all together. I can't take my mask off because I've been vaccinated. That's why we're all in this together and need our vaccines."

Under the state's timeline released on Wednesday, if the vaccines are approved for emergency use in the upcoming days the state expects to receive the first 59,475 doses of the Pfizer vaccine Dec. 15.

Frontline medical workers would get vaccinated in the first phase of the program. The following 40,000 Pfizer doses will go to the Federal Pharmacy Program and are earmarked for long-term care facility staff and residents.

The two doses of that vaccine will be administered between December and February 2021.

The second phase, which includes those considered high-risk for severe COVID complications, adults over 65 years old and early education, K-12, transit, grocery, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation, public works and public health workers, is planned for February to April.

The general population will likely have to wait until April.

Biddinger said only then, assuming enough of the general population takes the vaccine, will enough herd immunity be built up for "normal" life to return safely.

"We definitely have to get to a majority of the population that has effective immunity before we can get prevalence of the disease down low enough that we can get back much closer to normal," Biddinger said. "So, the goal is as quickly as possible.

"Definitely, more than 60 percent is where the models are. But, from our perspective, as a committee, we want everyone to get (the vaccine). That's how we will protect lives during this pandemic."

Baker said there are no plans to require state residents to get the vaccine.

"We're certainly not talking about a mandate," Baker said. "And I sincerely doubt you will find anyone in the employer community talking about it either."

Without that mandate, convincing enough of the public to get vaccinated to arrive at herd immunity, and significantly lower community transmission, will be vital to reopening all businesses.

Baker, who on Tuesday announced the state was moving back a step in the reopening process due to surging cases in recent weeks, said this past summer that moving to phase 4 of reopening – when traditional bars, nightclubs, concert venues can open and fans can once again fill Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium and TD Garden – will come when there is a vaccine or working therapeutic.

A vaccine becoming available, and enough people getting it to warrant lifting restrictions, however, appears to be another matter.

"We believe that in six to nine months we should have reached a good chunk of the country," Biddinger said. "There are lots of caveats to that, unfortunately."

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