Places You Can Travel When You're Vaccinated
Photo by Leah Kelley from Pexels
After more than a year of social restrictions, canceled tripped, and postponed events, we are eager to start exploring again. But of course, safety should always come first.
Are you safe to travel when you're vaccinated?
If you have two-dose vaccines, the protection provided is partial after the first dose, then on the second dose - typically two weeks - before the protection reaches the maximum level after the second dose. For 1-dose vaccines, the protection against COVID-19 is effective in a few weeks after you get injected.
However, it is important to note that vaccines do not provide 100% protection against COVID-19. Even if you are fully vaccinated, you can still get exposed to some COVID-19 variants.
When you travel, you come in contact with other people which can still put you at risk. The good news is that having the required number of doses and giving the vaccine ample time to take effect significantly reduces the risk of becoming seriously ill and even decreases the risk of spreading the virus to others.
U.S CDC Travel Recommendations.
The US Centers Control for Disease Prevention has set out travel recommendations separated into four levels.
Level 1: Low risk - get vaccinated before traveling to these destinations
Level 2: Moderate risk - travelers that are not vaccinated have a high chance of contracting the virus and should avoid non-essential travel at these destinations.
Level 3: High risk - Unvaccinated travelers should avoid non-essential travel.
Level 4: Very High - Do not travel to these places.
Here are some places you can travel based on US CDC Travel Recommendations:
Bahamas
Level 3
When you upload a vaccination record before your arrival, you are exempt from PCR tests and post-raid tests. You don't need to answer daily health questionnaires every day either. Vaccines made by Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Jhonson & Jhonson are only accepted.
The British Virgin Islands
Level 1
You can avoid quarantine in the Virgin Islands for four days if you test negative before and after arriving. You need to provide evidence of approved vaccines such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Jhonson & Jhonson.
Canada
Level 3
Fully vaccinated Americans can travel to Canada as early as mid-August. Vaccinated travelers from other countries can enter the country in September.
Denmark
Level 3
Vaccinated travelers from the U.S. and the UK can enter the country without getting quarantines or undergo pre-arrival Covid tests. If you have children, they can enter but are subjected to testing. Denmark has eliminated testing and isolation requirements for vaccinated travelers from European Union or Schengen Area countries.
Germany
Level 3
Vaccinated travelers can skip the quarantine measures in this country. Vaccines that are not made by China or Russia are only accepted.
Israel
Level 1
Israel has plans to welcome vaccinated tourists on July 1 but has been delayed to August due to the delta variant of the virus. Vaccinated travelers are required to be quarantined, but it is possible to petition the government for exemption.
Sri Lanka
Level 4
The country created a flowchart that outlines the travel protocols for vaccinated travelers. Testing requirements are reduced and you are free to leave the country's "bio bubble" - designed to prevent tourists from mingling with the locals. That is if the test is negative 24 to 48 hours after arriving.
For a full list of countries safe and unsafe to travel visit the US CDC website.