Boris Johnson and Professor Chris Whitty have addressed whether people who have had both doses of the coronavirus vaccine can 'exclusively socialise' without social-distancing.
The Prime Minister and Chief Medical Officer for England were addressing the public in a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday.
After revealing more than 10.5 million people have been given a jab in the UK - the majority of which were first doses - a member of the public asked about the prospect of mixing once vaccinated.
Paul from Eastbourne, Sussex, asked : "If I've had my second dose, and I'm socialising exclusively with other people that have had their second dose, can we ditch social distancing guidelines and intermix normally?"
He also asked if he can't, what is the rationale.
Mr Johnson said in response that it was a "very good question" and one that more people are beginning to ask as their loved ones get vaccinated.
"I think we really need to see more data, particularly about transmission, between people who have already had the vaccine and others before we think about relaxing social distancing and guidelines for everyone," he added.
"I think that this is something we'll start to think a bit [about] further down the line about what potential is opened up by these vaccinations.
"But I think what everybody wants to see is a world in which we can relax the guidelines and non-pharmaceutical interventions for everybody."
Mr Johnson added that at the moment, the level of infection is still "forbiddingly high" for them to imagine the relaxation of the current guidelines.
Prof Chris Whitty also commented that if you have just been vaccinated, there is a period of time where you "do not have any protection".
He says it is can take two to three weeks, and possibly slightly longer in older people, to achieve "any kind of protection".
Prof Whitty added: "Our really clear advice at the moment is to please stick to social distancing, irrespective of whether you have had the vaccination."
