NEW YORK (AP) – Add the trip to the activities that vaccinated Americans can enjoy again, according to new U.S. guidelines released Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidelines to say that fully vaccinated people can travel within the United States without being tested for coronavirus or quarantined thereafter.
Earlier, the agency warned against unnecessary travel, not even for vaccinated people, but noted that it would update its guidance as more people are vaccinated and provide evidence of the protection the shots provide.
“Every day you get more data and you change leadership based on existing data,” said Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the University of Nebraska’s College of Public Health.
According to Khan, the update enhances the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, and is another incentive for people to be vaccinated.
According to the CDC, nearly 100 million people in the US – or about 30% of the population – have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccination.
Unvaccinated people are still advised to avoid unnecessary travel.
The new leadership says:
– People who have been fully vaccinated can travel within the US without being tested for the coronavirus or quarantined. People should still wear a mask, have social distance and avoid crowds, the agency says.
For international travel, the agency says vaccinated people do not have to do a COVID-19 test before leaving, although some destinations require it.
Vaccines must still receive a negative COVID-19 test before boarding a flight to the US, and must be tested three to five days after their return. It does not have to be in quarantine. The agency took note of the possible introduction of virus variants and differences in vaccine coverage around the world for careful guidance on overseas travel.
The CDC cited recent research on the true effects of vaccines for its updated guidance. The agency has already said that people who are fully vaccinated can go indoors without wearing masks or wearing social distances. It is also said that vaccinated under unequal conditions can visit with unvaccinated people from a single household, as long as the individuals who are not vaccinated have a low risk of serious diseases if they are infected.
The US started implementing vaccines by December. The first vaccines – from Pfizer and Moderna – require two doses that are taken several weeks apart. End one-vaccine by Johnson & Johnson got the green light at the end of February.
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