It's the news we've all been waiting to hear for the last year—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just announced that fully vaccinated people can travel safely again. The new guidelines are based on studies showing the real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, which indicate that "fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19".

The CDC's newly updated guidelines state:

The CDC's newly updated guidelines state:

• People who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine can travel safely within the United States
• Fully vaccinated travelers do not need pre-travel testing unless their destination requires it
• Fully vaccinated travelers do not need to self-quarantine after returning to the United States

However, the CDC still recommends that fully vaccinated travelers wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth, avoid crowds and remain six feet apart from others, and wash their hands frequently.

The new guidance from the CDC applies only to travel within the United States and U.S. territories. It's important to note that the CDC mandate requiring a negative COVID-19 test to board an international flight returning to the United States still stands, even for fully vaccinated travelers.

According to the CDC, people are only considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose for a two-shot vaccine (such as Pfizer or Moderna), or two weeks after their single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.