The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cleared fully vaccinated people to travel within the U.S. without getting tested for the coronavirus or going into quarantine afterward.
“Every day you get more data, and you change your guidance based on the existing data,” said Dr. Ali Khan, dean of the University of Nebraska’s College of Public Health.
A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine.
The new guidance says:
— Fully vaccinated people can travel within the U.S., without getting tested for the coronavirus or quarantining. People should still wear a mask, socially distance, and avoid crowds.
— For international travel, the agency says vaccinated people do not need to get a COVID-19 test before leaving, though some destinations may require it.
The CDC cited recent research on the real-world effects of the vaccines for its updated guidance. Already, the agency had said fully vaccinated people could visit with each other indoors without wearing masks or social distancing. It also said vaccinated people could visit with unvaccinated people from a single household under similar conditions, as long as the unvaccinated individuals were at low-risk for severe illness if infected
According to the CDC, nearly 100 million people in the U.S. — or about 30% of the population — have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.