Travel after being vaccinated
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
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Posts: 20,342
I think you are all overthinking this on the basis of a questionable article in the press and working yourselves up into a worried state. This current reality will pass, variants or not. Things will get back to normal. There is no choice about that. Countries need to focus on rolling out the vaccine otherwise we will not get through this in a timely manner. They can keep one eye on what happens next, but there are countries out there that need to pull their vaccination fingers out first.
#77
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 38
Agree with you.
It would be wonderful if vaccination is the ticket to do unrestricted travels.
But the reality is, there're too many things we don't yet know about what being vaccinated means. Until we know, the same restrictions should be maintained for those who have and haven't been vaccinated.
I've received my 2 vaccine shots, but so far nothing has changed for me as far as travel restrictions, work rules, quarantine requirements in case of exposure, etc.
I'm eager to start traveling the world again. But the recent events such as the new variants have now got me more worried just over the past couple weeks.
It would be wonderful if vaccination is the ticket to do unrestricted travels.
But the reality is, there're too many things we don't yet know about what being vaccinated means. Until we know, the same restrictions should be maintained for those who have and haven't been vaccinated.
I've received my 2 vaccine shots, but so far nothing has changed for me as far as travel restrictions, work rules, quarantine requirements in case of exposure, etc.
I'm eager to start traveling the world again. But the recent events such as the new variants have now got me more worried just over the past couple weeks.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-55699581
#78
Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 1
Registered to comment - as a frequent traveller this kind of thing is absolutely killing me. Being low risk I doubt I'll be seeing a needle any time in 2021 anyway and being away from friends/family for so long isn't ideal. Depressing.
#79
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
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The only narrative is covid, covid, and covid. Mental health, economies, and to a certain degree education, have all been affected for a lot of people not only because of travel bans but in the general scheme of things and are being ignored. They have to make travel, well everything, back to what it was before, and I really don't think they need to overegg any solution.
#80
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: LAX
Programs: United Two Million Miler; United 1K, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 568
I was wondering it there could be an International Vaccine Database of all those who got a COVID and other Vaccines like the Flu Shot, Yellow Fever etc. that can be linked to your Drivers License/State ID/ Passports/ Global Entry etc. Airlines could require you to checkin starting at 72 hours before the flight and you would be assigned a Vaccine ID# to enter into the system much like you do for Global Entry and this will validate your Vaccine. While no Vaccine is 100 percent no PCR Test is 100 percent either.
Once your details are entered they are submitted to the Countries you will be Visiting and the International Country or Domestic location they will get information. If you are not vaccinated then you will be required to upload proof of a PCR Test up until Boarding the Flight and Airports could instill Rapid PCR Testing before you checkin and by the time you are checked in you would get the DOCs OK.
For those awaiting the results they will not be allowed to Checkin or go through Security or Exit Passport Control and will be in a special cordoned off area. If you get a test before then you would just give the printed results of any PCR Test not just specific Vendors.
Those who enter the Valid Vaccine# even at the time of checkin would potentially bypass the PCR Test but random secondary rapid PCR tests could be administered for non vaccinated travelers or for those who could not get a Vaccine at the airport much like Security Screening Questions to gather local data and once its been approved you are free to checkin. Those who are vaccinated would be allowed to take optional PCR tests for research.
Perhaps the airline could collect a PCR Test Fee as part of the ticket if you wish to take the Airport Test and it would be refunded if you could prove that you took a PCR test before checkin. Either way you would be covered.
Thoughts?
Once your details are entered they are submitted to the Countries you will be Visiting and the International Country or Domestic location they will get information. If you are not vaccinated then you will be required to upload proof of a PCR Test up until Boarding the Flight and Airports could instill Rapid PCR Testing before you checkin and by the time you are checked in you would get the DOCs OK.
For those awaiting the results they will not be allowed to Checkin or go through Security or Exit Passport Control and will be in a special cordoned off area. If you get a test before then you would just give the printed results of any PCR Test not just specific Vendors.
Those who enter the Valid Vaccine# even at the time of checkin would potentially bypass the PCR Test but random secondary rapid PCR tests could be administered for non vaccinated travelers or for those who could not get a Vaccine at the airport much like Security Screening Questions to gather local data and once its been approved you are free to checkin. Those who are vaccinated would be allowed to take optional PCR tests for research.
Perhaps the airline could collect a PCR Test Fee as part of the ticket if you wish to take the Airport Test and it would be refunded if you could prove that you took a PCR test before checkin. Either way you would be covered.
Thoughts?
#81
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: DTW
Programs: DL - PM, (NW - Plat), AA - Gold, Marriott - Plat, Avis - First
Posts: 955
The reality is, that international travel is pretty much dead for most people until at least 2022 and even that is optimistic.
Covid has caused the world to literally circle the wagons and close down everything. There is no hurry to change anything until a sizable portion of the state/countries/world gets vaccinated.
Nothing else matters.
Governments are loving the power.
Non-essential international travel isn't coming back until 2022 optimistically if not 2023 at this point and in some places 2024.
Its easily going to be a decade until we can travel freely without some varation of quarenteens, vaccination papers, or other health theater B.S like we did in 2019.
It is, what it is.
Covid has caused the world to literally circle the wagons and close down everything. There is no hurry to change anything until a sizable portion of the state/countries/world gets vaccinated.
Nothing else matters.
Governments are loving the power.
Non-essential international travel isn't coming back until 2022 optimistically if not 2023 at this point and in some places 2024.
Its easily going to be a decade until we can travel freely without some varation of quarenteens, vaccination papers, or other health theater B.S like we did in 2019.
It is, what it is.
#82
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
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Posts: 6,900
Sums up:
It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.
#83
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
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Which vaccines will be deemed acceptable for travel waivers? I doubt we will be accepting visitors with the Chinese vaccine which has a 50% failure rate.
#84
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 979
The only narrative is covid, covid, and covid. Mental health, economies, and to a certain degree education, have all been affected for a lot of people not only because of travel bans but in the general scheme of things and are being ignored. They have to make travel, well everything, back to what it was before, and I really don't think they need to overegg any solution.
This and only this. They need to re-open everything pronto. They are responsible for separation of families, lost family businesses, suicide, and hundreds of thousands of tragedies that are not reported.
#85
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,333
It appears that the Seychelles has jumped on the vaccine tourism bus. Sadly, I have two free tickets to SEZ in the beginning of March (courtesy of QR and their heroes promotion), but there is zero chance I will be getting a vaccine by then. My SO already has received his second dose as a hospital employee, but I am in the very last group, despite being an essential employee working in critical infrastructure.
#86
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,224
It appears that the Seychelles has jumped on the vaccine tourism bus. Sadly, I have two free tickets to SEZ in the beginning of March (courtesy of QR and their heroes promotion), but there is zero chance I will be getting a vaccine by then. My SO already has received his second dose as a hospital employee, but I am in the very last group, despite being an essential employee working in critical infrastructure.
#87
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,333
As much as I wish it were that simple, I am actually quite pleasantly surprised to see that there has been very little of this on offer...at least for the time being. Offering up vaccines to the highest bidder is inevitable, but it is definitely not a good thing in the grand scheme of this pandemic.
#88
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: VIE
Programs: SAS EBS / *A Silver, Hilton Diamond, Radisson VIP, IHG Platinum Ambassador
Posts: 3,771
None. WHO advises against any kind of vaccine waivers.
Restrictions will be relaxed when vulnerable groups are protected and covid becomes just another dissease. Individual vaccination status has nothing to do with it.
Restrictions will be relaxed when vulnerable groups are protected and covid becomes just another dissease. Individual vaccination status has nothing to do with it.
#89
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: YVR
Programs: AC MM
Posts: 1,478
(CNN) — The Seychelles has reopened its borders and dropped quarantine requirements to all travelers who've been vaccinated against Covid-19.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/s...ers/index.html
I don't agree with vaccine waivers, at least until there is more clarity if how effective it is, not only for the one who has been vaccinated but also those this person comes in close contact with, but it looks like it's something we'll have to get used to, at least in the short to midterm future.
#90
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,267
1. "Fully reopened borders" is a very general phrase. You're reading it as "borders will stay closed." But it can mean anything from "borders will stay closed" to "borders will be open but with restrictions." And those restrictions can be anything from onerous (vaccine + covid test + 14 days' quarantine) to basically a joke (a forehead temperature check).
2. There are 11 months left in 2021. Where was the world 11 months ago? How much has changed in those 11 months?