Want to know if your family or friends got the COVID-19 vaccine? It's not rude to ask, etiquette experts say - USA TODAY

You should know if the people you're spending time with have gotten the vaccine or not — even if you have to ask — experts say.

If you want to know whether someone you're planning on spending time with has gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, you shouldn't feel bad about asking, according to etiquette experts. .

Unlike many other pieces of health-related information, which are typically kept private in polite company, there's no shame in wanting to know whether people you're close with have gotten the vaccine, according to etiquette expert Elaine Swann.

That's because the vaccination status of a person can have health impacts for the people who spend time around them. .

But many activities are only safe if a vaccinated person is surrounded by other vaccinated people.

And for people who have been vaccinated, spending time around a person who hasn't had the vaccine can increase their risk.

That means you should know if the people you're spending time with have gotten the vaccine or not — even if you have to ask.

If a vaccinated person learns someone they are planning on spending time with is not vaccinated, they should take steps to reduce the risk of the situation, said Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts and author of a book about adapting to "the new abnormal" of COVID-19