Do I need to wear a mask after first Covid jab in France?

Reader question: I’ve had my first jab in France, do I still need to wear a mask or can I now not infect people?

France’s Health Minister Olivier Véran tackled this question recently.

He was responding to the question on Franceinfo on March 1: Can people who have been vaccinated still be case contacts?

In other words, can people who have been vaccinated still spread the virus?

Mr Véran said “yes”.

“We do not have full and complete proof that the vaccination protects against infection... and stops people from carrying the virus themselves and therefore transmitting it to other people.

“So, yes, for the moment. If we receive data that proves the contrary, we will be very happy,” he said.

In the same interview, Mr Véran reaffirmed the necessity to wear masks outdoors in open spaces.

“It is scientifically proven that the more you wear masks, the less you will spit or drop virus particles that can be deposited everywhere,” he said.

He also stated that outdoor contaminations have already been identified.

"It is not the most frequent, but it happens."

To date, around three million people in France have received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and some 1.5 million have received both doses.

Read more:

First report into side-effects of Covid vaccines in France

Covid France: How many vaccine doses in my region?