medical circumstances as well as their risk tolerance when it comes to contracting COVID-19,” Wen says.
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Before You Leave the United States
Planning a trip outside of the country? Before you leave, plan ahead. Here’s what the CDC advises:
- Get up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before you travel.
- Find out when you can get your booster and where to get a vaccine or booster.
- COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting people—especially those who are boosted— from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and even dying.
- Follow all requirements of transportation operators (such as airlines, cruise lines, buses) and any requirements, including mask wearing, proof of vaccination, or testing at your destination.
- Requirements in other countries may differ from U.S. requirements. If you do not follow your destination’s requirements, you may be denied entry and required to return to the United States.
- If you have a weakened immune system or are at increased risk for severe disease, take multiple prevention steps to provide additional layers of protection from COVID-19 even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk before travel and consider delaying travel to areas with high COVID-19 levels. Even if you are up to date, you should know what precautions to take.
- If you will be visiting someone who is at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, learn how to protect them.
The CDC also advises testing before boarding flights back to the United States.
“Of course, if people have symptoms or exposure while traveling, they need to get tested, and if they test positive, to follow CDC’s isolation guidelines,” Wen adds.