(CNN) – Disney Cruise Line announced that all passengers are 5 years and older must be vaccinated against Covid-19 from January and extends its mandate to children who are now eligible for vaccination in the USA. “As we set sail again, the health and safety of our guests, performers and crew members is our top priority. Our focus remains on operating our ships responsibly that continues to create magic for everyone on board, ”said Disney Cruise Line said in a statement.
The requirement begins on January 13, 2022, the company said. Children under the age of 5 must demonstrate a negative test between 3 days and 24 hours prior to departure, and children between the ages of 5 and 11 can meet the test requirements for journeys before January 13th.
The announcement is in line with the company’s policy that all guests who can be vaccinated – as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – must be vaccinated against Covid-19 before boarding. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized in late October that doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine could be distributed to children ages 5-11, which received approval from the CDC.
The certificates of vaccination accepted by the cruise line for passengers are those of Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novavax, Sinopharm and Sinovac, the statement said.
The cruise industry has been working to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and has taken steps to allow passengers to travel safely through vaccination requirements and additional safety protocols some cases have been reported.
“We are resuming sailing in a step-by-step, step-by-step approach that emphasizes multiple levels of health and safety measures,” said Disney Cruise Line, citing the guidelines of the CDC and medical experts in their decisions.
About 1.9 million children under the age of 12 received their first dose of vaccine. corresponding CDC data and the age group 5-11 years comprise about a third of all new vaccinations in the past two weeks.
CNN’s Deidre McPhillips contributed to this report.
