Should I Ask My Friends If They

Are Vaccinated?
COVID-19 vaccine etiquette and considerations for all
the people in your life.
BY KERI ALTHOFF AND ELIZABETH STUART | JUNE 21, 2021

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If you’re fully vaccinated, almost all interactions are quite low risk
for you. But you might still want to know about others’ vaccination
status to help think through how to make activities as low risk as
possible for everyone.
This is particularly true if you interact regularly with high-risk individuals or people
who haven’t been vaccinated yet, such as children under 12 years old.

You can get practice and gain comfort in asking friends about their vaccination
status before interacting closely with them. Below are a few specific examples of
navigating some tricky scenarios.

If you learn that someone isn’t vaccinated, when appropriate—with close friends
and family, for example—consider asking them why not and see if you can help
address their concerns. (See How Can I Talk to My Friends and Family
About Vaccines)

Let us know what questions you’re hearing: publichealthquestion@jhu.edu

SCENARIO: I am fully vaccinated. How can I ask my friends
if they are also vaccinated before we hang out? Should it
change our plans if someone is not?
Absolutely! If you are hanging out with fully vaccinated friends, you can enjoy
each other’s company without masks and social distancing.

If there are unvaccinated friends in the mix, you may wish to enjoy your gathering
outside or in spaces where masking and social distancing is more comfortable.
Asking your friends about their vaccination status is as simple as “I have been
vaccinated for COVID-19. Have you?” If they don’t wish to answer, you should
engage with the person as if they are unvaccinated.

SCENARIO: My dentist told me that she’s not going to get

vaccinated. Should I find another provider?
It is perfectly appropriate to seek out service providers who you know
are vaccinated.

SCENARIO: My friend told me that asking someone about

their vaccination status is a HIPAA violation. Is that true?
It is not a violation of HIPAA to ask someone about their vaccination status. The
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) restricts doctors and
insurance companies from disclosing information about their patients.

SCENARIO: My fiance and I are finally rescheduling our

postponed wedding for later this summer. Is it ok to ask
that guests who plan to attend get vaccinated beforehand
so everyone can be safe? Should we require proof of
some kind?
Encouraging guests to be vaccinated to attend your wedding is appropriate. You
may even wish to gather information on an individual’s vaccination status on the
RSVP card.

But people may be dishonest about their vaccination status, proof may be difficult
for vaccinated people to provide, and there may be people who are vaccinated
but still practice masking and social distancing as extra layers of protection for
themselves (particularly if they are immune compromised) or others in their
household. You might want to also consider how or whether knowing that
information would or would not change your plans.

Unless you have a small gathering and you are confident everyone is vaccinated,
remind your guests of the CDC guidance for unvaccinated people and provide
masks and space for guests to socially distance themselves.

SCENARIO: I’m newly back into the dating scene and eager
to meet people. How can I ask them about their vaccination
status before we hang out?
Communication is key to relationships. Asking about vaccination status can help
build communication and is important for understanding how to follow
CDC guidelines.

Read more about Dating in the Time of COVID-19

SCENARIO: My 12- and 14-year-old kids are newly fully

vaccinated and want to hang out with their friends, but
there are some kids under 12 who haven’t been vaccinated
and others whose status we don’t know. How can we keep
everyone safe?
A general rule is that if you’re going to be gathering with people from multiple
households who aren’t vaccinated—or if you don’t know everyone’s vaccination
status—look for lower-risk activities: