The US will start to welcome fully vaccinated travelers by November 8. This will also include opening of land borders in Canada and Mexico. One of the biggest questions is the type of vaccine that will be valid for travel. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that vaccines that are approved either by the FDA or WHO will be accepted. On top of that, those with mixed COVID19 doses can also enter the US.
3.9 Million Canadians Received Mixed COVID19 Doses
This announcement is good news to 3.9 million Canadians who received a mixed-dose regimen of the COVID19 vaccine. According to the CDC, “While CDC has not recommended mixing types of vaccine in a primary series, we recognize that this is increasingly common in other countries so should be accepted for the interpretation of vaccine records”. Travelers with “any combination” of two doses that are either approved by the US FDA or WHO are “considered fully vaccinated”.
The president and CEO of US Travel Association Roger Dow said that re-opening will “provide a jot to the economy”. Dow added that this will “accelerate the return of travel-related jobs”.
Dow also praised this decision by the US. He said that “We applaud the administration for recognizing the value of international travel to our economy and our country”.
PCR Testing
Even with eased travel policy between Canada and the US, travelers need a negative PCR test to enter the US. American officials urged the federal government to ease its COVID19 test requirements. Rep. Brian Higgins of New York’s 26th congressional district wants the government to change its testing policy.
Higgins wants the federal government to scrap the costly PCR tests. He said that “I think that the US decision to allow Canadians coming into the United States without a test again underscores the potency of the vaccine”. He added that “I would like to see that reciprocated by our Canadian neighbors”.
For Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair, it’s possible to see the testing requirements to “evolve”. However, there’s evidence that PCR tests are effective in reducing the spread of COVID19.
