Masks: Some experts think policies are changing too fast, concerned about honor code .

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Sun, 2021-05-16 12:30 — mike kraft

Mask policies across the US are rapidly changing. Here's what worries experts about that State leaders across the US announced they were dropping mask requirements for fully vaccinated residents. But the country may be moving too quickly and not focusing enough on the key part of CDC's guidelines, one expert told CNN. Christina Maxouris, CNN CNN

(CNN) In the past week, America took two big steps closer to a semblance of the normalcy we've longed for.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration expanded its emergency use authorization for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine to include people 12 to 15 years old. And on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear masks or socially distance indoors or outdoors, with some exceptions.

It didn't take long for the CDC guidance to trigger changes across the country.

State leaders across the US announced they were dropping mask requirements for fully vaccinated residents. Retailers and other businesses -- including Trader Joe's, Walmart, Starbucks and Publix -- also announced changes to their masking policies.

But the country may be moving too quickly and not focusing enough on the key part of CDC's guidelines, one expert told CNN on Saturday.

"We should be emphasizing 'fully vaccinated' in the context of mask guideline changes and not just taking your mask off, because it's causing businesses -- schools even -- to start to change their policy a bit prematurely and without the full picture of the guidelines," infectious disease expert Jessica Malaty Rivera said.

And the quick changes have left some parts of the country now relying on an honor system, other experts say.

"The CDC went from 0 to 100 overnight," emergency physician and CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen told CNN Saturday. While Wen agrees with the approach of letting fully vaccinated Americans return to normal, she said there should be some kind of verification process in place for that to work.

"The CDC is relying on the honor code, and we're seeing that the honor code is already not working," Wen said. "There are already many states and businesses that are essentially just taking their guidance and saying 'that means that mask mandates and distancing all needs to end.'"

And what that means: "We've just made life so much less safe for those who are not vaccinated and for those who are immuno-compromised and may not get the full benefit of the vaccines," Wen said. ...

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