# Is it safe to stop wearing KN95 face masks and wear only cloth/surgical masks after getting fully vaccinated?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-stop-wearing-kn95-face-masks-and-wear-only-cloth-surgical-masks-after-getting-fully-vaccinated/940215>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [April 17, 2021, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-stop-wearing-kn95-face-masks-and-wear-only-cloth-surgical-masks-after-getting-fully-vaccinated/940215 "2021-04-17T18:34:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2021, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-stop-wearing-kn95-face-masks-and-wear-only-cloth-surgical-masks-after-getting-fully-vaccinated/940215/42 "2021-04-19T22:49:18Z")

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Yes, but they are still expensive, and took a little research to find. I bought a lot of N95 masks for my BIL because he’s an HVAC repairman and works in other people’s homes, and when I visited him I noticed he was wearing a really ratty old mask. A few months later he asked me how he could buy more.

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**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2021, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-stop-wearing-kn95-face-masks-and-wear-only-cloth-surgical-masks-after-getting-fully-vaccinated/940215/43 "2021-04-19T22:52:41Z")

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> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> my local hardware stores have been out of them.

They are available where I am at Walgreens, Costco, Office Max and the grocery store. They are not really that hard to come by now, they are a little pricey. I saw a 10 pack for $20 at one of those stores above.

I have not worn N95 or KN95 for quite some time. I’ve been in the 3 ply paper surgical masks. I have bought a few boxes of fun ones, or I just wear the plain ones from work.

I will continue to mask for the foreseeable future, I will be using the 3 ply paper surgical masks. They are effective and much easier to breath in than cloth masks. Those suckers are difficult.

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**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2021, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-stop-wearing-kn95-face-masks-and-wear-only-cloth-surgical-masks-after-getting-fully-vaccinated/940215/44 "2021-04-19T23:11:27Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> Yes, but they are still expensive, and took a little research to find.

[https://www.amazon.com/kn95/s?k=kn95](https://www.amazon.com/kn95/s?k=kn95)  
They’re $0.50 ea and up on Amazon. They were more earlier on, but not that much more. I got a box of 50 in December for $19.25 from Bulk Office Supply. Another box of 50 last July for $34.95. But the point is that you were indeed able to find them without too much difficulty.

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