As coronavirus vaccines become more accessible in the United States, more Americans are reporting that they feel good again when they travel overseas.
While the US is leading the way in vaccine adoption, many of the destinations Americans travel to frequently, including several Spanish-speaking countries, have much lower vaccination rates. Some health professionals say it is important for travelers to determine their goals in advance and to adhere to public health guidelines such as masking and social distancing when traveling to protect themselves and the communities they visit.
43 percent of Americans say they would I don’t feel guilty about traveling now. according to Destination Analysts. Approximately 1 in 10 people have plans to go overseas this summer.
“The vaccines are very optimistic,” said Jeannette Ceja, a California-based travel writer and travel consultant. “There’s a lot of hope and people want to plan international trips and weddings and go to see their relatives who haven’t seen them.”
This comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that people who are fully vaccinated make it happen low risk international travelers. However, the agency also issued notices for certain countries still grappling with the virus.
“If you are vaccinated you have protection from acquiring or transmitting COVID, but you want to be very careful especially now as we are not entirely sure how the vaccine protects against variants,” said Aresha Martinez-Cardoso, a researcher in Public Health and Associate Professor at the University of Chicago. “My recommendation would be that people try to go to a lower risk country based on the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Every traveler should be vaccinated, and families with children should be extra careful as they are not eligible for the vaccine, Martinez-Cardoso said.
“That is the bare minimum that we can do to be mindful travelers,” she said.
Forty-three percent of Americans say they wouldn’t feel guilty about traveling right now, according to Destination Analysts. Approximately 1 in 10 people have plans to go overseas this summer. (WTTW news)
Approximately 30% of American adults are fully vaccinated, with approximately 43% receiving their first dose. according to NPR’s COVID vaccine tracker. However, other countries are much further behind. For example, in Mexico about 4.8% of the population is fully vaccinated and about 9.5% of the population received the first dose. according to The New York Times vaccine tracker.
“There is always little risk of transmission, even if you are vaccinated, so it is important just to be extra careful to protect those who care and serve you,” said Martinez-Cardoso.
She described traveling abroad as a “double-edged sword” as many destinations depend on tourism but are still significantly affected by the pandemic.
“Anyone who travels the world, but at this point in time, it’s more important than ever to only respect the communities you encounter,” said Martinez-Cardoso. This includes on-site shopping and staying at locally owned hotels, she said.
“We all like to haggle, but maybe this time around we will respect the prices, tip a little and make that part of your travel budget because if you want to take advantage of international travel you should do so in a way that thinks about it Communities that we enter, ”said Martinez-Cardoso.
Healthcare professionals recommend travelers to research the communities they intend to travel to before booking a trip. Travelers can examine how the pandemic is affecting the country’s health systems, as well as transmission and vaccination rates.
“There are certain churches, even in Mexico or Brazil, that have churches that don’t have oxygen. If this community currently does not have resources, this is probably not the best time to visit these communities. It is probably best to think about how to support these communities, ”said Dr. Susan Lopez, a family doctor at Rush University Medical Center. She has provided guidance to patients visiting families in Mexico during the pandemic.
“You don’t necessarily want to be in a position where you get sick yourself and end up using the community and resources that are already very strained,” said Lopez.
