Would you get one of the first vaccines if it meant you could travel internationally?

[Pauline]

The EU is working on vaccine passports, though no final decision on whether tourists, especially those from outside the EU, will be allowed to visit this summer.

Argh! I wonder if my Irish passport will give me access or will it be where you live? Thank you Brexit!

 

[AldenYoungblood]

There are reports of possible Emergency Use Authorization or EUA by the FDA of one or more vaccines by early November.

The first groups offered vaccines would be health care workers and vulnerable groups -- elderly or those with comorbidities.

Then the expectation is that in the first quarter or half of 2021, vaccines would start to be rolled out to a wider population.

We've seen how stringent the EU has been with entry requirements for tourism this past summer. For instance, no Americans.

If they raised an "immunity passport" requirement, some documentation to show that you have been vaccinated for covid, would you get vaccinated in early 2021 in order to be able to travel internationally in 2021?

For context, vaccines typically take years to develop. For instance, Sanofi took almost 20 years to develop a vaccine for Dengue Fever and started rolling it out in the Philippines a few years ago. After a year of vaccinating almost 1 million youth there, it was discovered that the vaccine could have adverse effects including the deaths of several hundred children for those who had never had Dengue Fever before vaccination.

Sanofi had to change the requirement so that only those who previously had Dengue Fever could get the vaccine, which would prevent more severe reinfections but only for those previously exposed to the virus.

After that change, the EU and then the US FDA gave formal approvals.

I would get the vaccine to travel.

 

[wco81]

Greece Tourism minister said they will allow tourists from anywhere, if they have been vaccinated, show a negative test or show antibody test.

People who are vaccinated against COVID-19, have antibodies or test negative can travel to Greece this summer, Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis said on Tuesday.

Tourism is a major income earner for Greece, which has led calls for an EU-wide vaccination certificate to help unlock travel.


The industry accounts for about a fifth of the Greek economy and employs one in five workers, but arrivals collapsed last year because of the pandemic.

Greece is aiming to kick off its vital summer season by mid-May, said Theocharis as he addressed the ITB Berlin trade show from the Athens Acropolis Museum, home to sculptures from Greek antiquity.


“Greece is ready with a complete protocol for summer 2021,” he said. “Tourists will be welcome if before travel they are either vaccinated, or have antibodies, or test negative. All tourists will be subject to random testing.”

He said the authorities would prioritise the vaccination of people working in the hospitality sector once the most vulnerable were vaccinated, and were mandating the frequent testing of employees.

Greece to welcome vaccinated and COVID-negative tourists from May

People who are vaccinated against COVID-19, have antibodies or test negative can travel to Greece this summer, Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis said on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

Remember however that last year they said Americans would be welcome there but ended up going along with the EU ban on Americans when there were high new case rates in the US from June to end of July.

 

[susan]

I got my first shot (Moderna) yesterday!! I feel so relieved. My 2nd appt set in 4 weeks. 6 more weeks and I'll be fully vaccinated. Maybe I'll stop washing my groceries then!

I keep hearing everyone say that you can't even feel the shot, but I did! I'm a wimp though with shots. I experienced some fatigue yesterday after the shot. My arm was also sore and is still pretty sore today, but so far no other reaction. I've read that some experience a rash/inflammation about a week after the shot. I have very bad reactions to bee stings and even mosquito bites so I'm a little concerned that I may have this reaction, but it is better than getting COVID!

We get a COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with the CDC logo on it after the first shot (which we need to bring back for the 2nd shot). I guess that will be our proof for travel.

 

[Pauline]

I got my first shot in February and my arm hurt for a few days. Then, a few days after the shot, I felt unwell for a day - tired, dizzy, just yucky. My immune system dealing with the vaccine I think. Steve had the same.

My friend in NM felt nothing after the first shot (Moderna) but felt quite ill for a day after the second shot.

Congrats on your vaccination! I won't get my second shot until May!!

 

[wco81]

While only a few countries have said they will take in vaccinated foreign tourists, some of these countries and tourism companies are already targeting vaccinated people in the UK and Israel.

There's certainly a lot of interest in foreign travel in those and other countries:

There's clearly a market too. ABTA, a UK travel trade association, says that 63% of Brits are hoping to book a foreign vacation in 2021.

Read in CNN: https://apple.news/AG64y-FA-R2CujBdS5qAEaQ

There's a marketing push starting to try to get people to book now while other tourism industry people suggest people should be cautious because policies and the nature of the pandemic could in months or even weeks.

 

[Steve R.]

My wife and I got our Moderna shots early Feb and then early this month. We expected some arm reaction to the 1st shot and that's what we got... some muscle tightening and soreness. Minor. After the 2nd shot (around noon), we went home & noticed similar arm soreness. Then it got worse (for both of us). My arm felt like someone had hit it with a baseball bat. By the time we went to bed (around midnight), we had low grade fevers and body aches. During the night, sweats and chills. In the morning, some remaining body aches and weakness. By afternoon, only some residual weakness. The next day I was playing tennis. Back to my previous aged self, with my listing of "broken" pieces.

 

[Andrew]

From the BBC:

A digital certificate to kick-start foreign travel should be given to citizens across the EU "without discrimination", officials say.

A step towards an immunity passport in the EU, and the question is whether the U.S. and others could join such a plan.

 

[wco81]

Sounds like they would definitely allow EU citizens to travel to other EU countries.

Whether they'd allow "third country" tourists to enter the EU is another matter.

 

[wco81]

Progress of vaccinations are going well in the US.

By May, every adult will be eligible to get vaccinated, though appointments may be more scarce in some locales than others.

Just a question of whether the most desirable destinations will admit tourists. In particular, the EU notoriously barred American tourists last summer.

By this summer, the percentage of Americans vaccinated will be far greater than the percentage of vaccinated Europeans.

Greece has already said it would welcome all vaccinated tourists or those with recent negative test results in mid May.

Problem is Europe is going through a wave of infections currently. And last year, Greece had said they would welcome everyone but in the end complied with the rest of the EU in banning Americans and tourists from other countries.

So we will see.

 

[Jan55612]

We have had both Pfizer vaccines doses. My husband only had a sore arm on each. I had a more robust reaction on the second. Fever, chills, body aches, etc. But, it didn't last more than 24 hours. Time to move on!
Our state has opened up vaccinations to everyone over 16.
But, our community spread numbers are increasing, which isn't good.
Hope thing improve.

 

[Steve R.]

Part of the issue for us, travel and otherwise, is that there still doesn't seem to be consensus on how much of a carrier or spreader us vaccinated folks are. Then, of course, is the issue that even 90% aint 100% and, even though getting a severe enough case to require hospital treatment doesn't seem to be a thing once vaccinated, I'm still not sure that I want to stray somewhere where my medical providers and insurance isn't. At this point, maybe in the fall?

 

[wco81]

Macron interview in which he references that France and the US are working on lifting restrictions on travel for this summer between Europe and the US.

Macron says France "finalizing" plans to ease restrictions for vaccinated American travelers

Well "progressively lifting" restrictions is what he says, maybe because France has high covid numbers right now.

Also last summer, US had good numbers coming out of the spring only to spike up in June and July, leading the EU to bar American tourists.

So fingers crossed. Maybe getting vaccinated will have turned out to be worth it.

 

[wco81]

Ursula von der Lyden told the NY Times that vaccinated American tourists will be able to visit the EU this summer. The rationale is that Americans have gotten the same vaccines that the European Medical Agency has approved:

The fast pace of vaccination in the United States, and advanced talks between authorities there and the European Union over how to make vaccine certificates acceptable as proof of immunity for visitors, will enable the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, to recommend a switch in policy that could see trans-Atlantic leisure travel restored.

“The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said Sunday in an interview with The Times in Brussels. “This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union.

“Because one thing is clear: All 27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by E.M.A.,” she added. The agency, the bloc’s drugs regulator, has approved all three vaccines being used in the United States, namely the Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson shots.


Ms. von der Leyen did not offer a timeline on when exactly tourist travel might open up or details on how it would occur. But her comments are a top-level statement that the current travel restrictions are set to change on the basis of vaccination certificates.

E.U. Set to Let Vaccinated U.S. Tourists Visit This Summer (Published 2021)

The head of the European Commission said the bloc would switch policy, under certain conditions, after more than a year of mostly banning nonessential travel.

www.nytimes.com

So the approved vaccines are the same ones we originally asked about at the start of this thread many months ago.

 

[wco81]

So took a chance and booked some flights starting in late June.

Based on statements such as those by Ursula von der Leyen and others and the fact that the EU as well as the US, are seeing good weekly decreases in new cases (as well as other metrics like hospitalizations, deaths) and has seen these trends for at least the past month or more.

Some of the fares, I was aware was going to go up so kind of pushed into it. Also had some hotel and airline credits to use from 2020 trips not taken. Didn't have to use those this year but probably better to use them sooner than later.

Now about 3 weeks past the second Pfizer shot.

 

[wco81]

Vaccinated Americans can officially enter France for tourism starting on June 9th.

https://www.gouvernement.fr/sites/default/files/contenu/piece-jointe/2021/06/210603_dp-covid_frontieres_20h40.pdf

But still have to produce PCR or Antigen test results.

Unvaccinated Americans can't visit period.

These rules apply to all Orange list countries.which at this time includes the UK.

There is a color-coded map of the countries at the link.