The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its travel guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. Once completing the vaccination, you can now travel within the US without undergoing COVID19 tests and quarantine.
A few weeks ago, the CDC wants fully vaccinated individuals to just stay at home. The agency also pleaded with the public to limit their travel. After reviewing recent studies, the agency confirmed that fully vaccinated individuals are at low risk of getting infected by COVID19.
The studies discovered fully vaccinated individuals are “less likely to have asymptomatic infection and less likely to transmit SARS-COV-2”.
The travel industry welcomed the new travel guidelines. The travel industry, including airlines, lost billions since the pandemic started.
No Testing No Quarantine for the Fully Vaccinated
The individual will have to wait for two weeks after the last recommended dose before becoming “fully vaccinated”. However, even those who are fully vaccinated will still need to wear masks and practice necessary precautions.
According to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, “it is important to update the public on the latest science about what fully vaccinated people can do safely”. Walensky added that “vaccines can help us return to the things we love about life”.
International Travel Guidelines
For international travel, CDC’s new travel guidelines for fully vaccinated include the following:
- No more COVID19 tests unless required by the destination.
- No self-quarantine after returning to the US, unless local jurisdiction requires it.
- Those going to the US will still need a negative COVID19 test before they can board the plane. They will also have to take another test 3-5 days after returning from international travel.
- Take the necessary precautions when traveling internationally.
Unvaccinated individuals will still need to take a COVID19 test a few days before their flight and to complete their quarantine.
The US expects 90% of its population to be eligible for vaccination by the end of April. The remaining 10% will be eligible by May.
