Add trips to activities that vaccinated Americans can enjoy again, according to the new US guidance released Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have updated their guidelines to say that fully vaccinated people can travel within the United States without being tested for coronavirus or being quarantined later.
Still, the director of the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, urged caution and said that she “would advocate against travel in general”, given the growing number of infections.
“If you get vaccinated, the risk is less,” she said.
According to the CDC, almost 100 million people in the United States – or about 30% of the population – received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last necessary dose.
The agency said it would update its guidelines as more people were vaccinated and evidence was accumulated about the protection that vaccines provide.
“Every day you get more data and you change your orientation,” said Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Nebraska.
The CDC follows its guidelines for non-vaccinated people to avoid unnecessary travel. If they travel, the agency says to take the test one to three days before the trip and three to five days after. People should also stay at home and be quarantined for seven days after their trip, even if the COVID-19 test is negative, the agency says.
In contrast to cruise ships, airplanes have not proven to be hot beds for COVID-19 infections, and experts say it is because of the unique airflow patterns on planes.
The new guideline says:
– Fully vaccinated people can travel within the United States without having a coronavirus test or being quarantined. People must still wear a mask, distance themselves socially and avoid crowds, says the agency.
– For international travel, the agency says that vaccinated people do not need to take the COVID-19 test before leaving, although some destinations may require it.
– Vaccinated persons must still obtain a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight to the USA and taking the test 3 to 5 days after returning. They do not need to be quarantined. The agency noted the potential introduction of variants of the virus and differences in vaccine coverage worldwide for cautious guidance on trips abroad.
Air travel in the United States is already recovering. Although traffic remains almost half as much as in the previous year, more than 1 million travelers a day have passed through US airports in recent weeks.
Airlines do not require COVID-19 tests or proof of vaccination for travel in the USA
The CDC cited recent research on the effects of vaccines in the real world for its updated guidance. Last month, the agency said that fully vaccinated people could visit each other indoors without wearing masks or social detachment. He also said that vaccinated people can visit unvaccinated people from a single home under similar conditions, as long as unvaccinated people have a low risk of serious illness if infected.
The United States began launching the vaccine in mid-December. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses administered a few weeks apart. A single Johnson & Johnson vaccine received a green light from regulators in late February.