The next most important distinction is whether someone who’s due for a booster has received one. As of last week, the CDC advises that adults should get boosted at least six months after their initial doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or at least two months after their dose of Johnson & Johnson. (A booster’s full effects take about two weeks to kick in.)

People who have gotten a booster are generally safer to spend time with, but not having one isn’t a dealbreaker. Rivera told me that someone’s booster status wouldn’t stop her from hanging out with them.

She said that she would feel more comfortable meeting outdoors with unboosted friends who are exposed to many other people each day, but “if there’s somebody who is always masked when they’re in mixed [vaccination] settings, works from home, and doesn’t see many people, their booster status doesn’t matter to me,” and she would feel comfortable spending time with them indoors.