Resuming International Travel Faces Starts & Stops

With summer 2021 quickly approaching in the Northern Hemisphere and COVID-19 vaccination rates increasing, many people are eager to resume international travel. 

Additionally, many countries are loosening restrictions to welcome visitors once again.

However, international travel poses health risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading COVID-19 variants. Since the COVID-19 pandemic differs from country to country, prospective travelers should pay close attention to the situation at their destination.

On April 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of State issued Travel Advisories resulting in a significant increase in the number of countries classified as “Level 4: Do Not Travel.” These travel advisories are found on this webpage.  

Within the USA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, ‘Once you are fully vaccinated, you can travel safely between states.’

The CDC recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated because travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. The CDC has authorized three experimental  COVID-19 vaccines, which are offered in most pharmacies.

Besides COVID-19, there are several disease outbreaks worldwide, such as polio, measles, dengue, and yellow fever. Suggested vaccines are listed on this webpage.  

If you are not fully vaccinated against these diseases and must travel, you should visit a healthcare provider specializing in travel vaccinations prior to departure.

To find a vaccine provider near you, visit the Vaccine Finder or your state or local public health department website.

Furthermore, the State Department suggests enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive timely Alerts about evolving health and safety conditions in your future destination.

Vax-Before-Travel publishes research-based travel vaccine news.