Do you think the unvaccinated will be able to travel soon - without quarantine?

[fucketyfuckwit]

I am fully vaccinated.

The DH of one of my close friends is terrified of needles and hasn't yet been vaccinated.

They are hoping that if they have another staycation this year, it will all blow over and they will be able to travel maybe 2023/24.

What do you think? Do you think countries will allow the unvaccinated without quarantine any time soon?

I think some countries will relax a bit this summer

As the chair of the JCVI was quoted as saying.. paraphrased as I can’t remember the exact quotation… we cannot vaccinated the entire population of the globe every 4 months, it is neither desirable nor affordable.

Once the risks associated with COVID decrease below an acceptable level, and currently it does appear that the severity of the disease seems to be decreasing… I don’t think we are there yet in terms of acceptable load on hospitals.. but hopefully it will continue on this trajectory.. then I think the rules regarding travel will ease in line with the perceived risk. If vaccines are no longer effective or deemed to be adequate after 6 months.. then it becomes difficult to determine the relative risk that unvaccinated travelers pose compared to those who’s vaccinations are older than X months.

The UK has already lifted some restrictions on unvaccinated arrivals.. ‘ n addition, from February 11, all persons who have not completed their immunization process against the virus will only be required to undergo a pre-departure test and a PCR test on or pre-day two after they arrive in Britain and fill in the passenger locator form.’

www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/uk-lifts-testing-requirement-for-vaccinated-travellers-abolishes-quarantine-rule-for-unvaccinated-ones/

(caveat.. I haven’t check this against Uk.gov sites..)

Some countries might be a little slower.. the relationship between the UK and France has taken a battering recently and Italy may be reluctant to roll back restrictions too quickly as the memory of how hard hit they were in the early days when no one had any experience to share will be more enduring for them than countries who hit the same waves later in the process.

I couldn't even predict what the UK will do in the future, never mind unspecified other countries

Some countries will, poorer ones that need the tourism. I think some Caribbean countries are allowing unvaccinated travellers. Wealthier countries like Australia and Singapore I can't see relaxing those rules any time soon, if at all.

I think at some point the vaccines will move to a private model and for some countries you will have to pay for them like other travel vaccinations.

They can go to Turkey and a few other countries already. Where would they choose to go?

Lots of countries don't require vaccines to enter eg Turkey, Greece, Croatia to name a few.

Maybe? Denmark has just removed all covid rules.

Here in Canada, there is a lawsuit has been brought around travel restrictions by a group that includes the only living signatory of our charter of rights:

peckford42.wordpress.com/2022/01/26/i-am-today-launching-a-lawsuit-against-the-federal-government-of-canada/?fbclid=IwAR1coXcZDLCtlnrhXoJwlZwsx7fmFcqDVoxpB_LYxob9LGeaCT-bo75iylQ

That being said, I think countries like mine and Australia are likely to double down. Covid has awakened a very strange sort of authoritarianism in some places.

Covid has awakened a very strange sort of authoritarianism in some places.

Maybe other countries value people's lives more? I was shocked to hear that PM claimed UK is a success against covid, after so many people have died.

Who knows

Is it likely anywhere will get stricter? Eg would Spain mandate over 5s be vaccinated for entry, currently it's only over 12s.

@rainrainraincamedowndowndown

Covid has awakened a very strange sort of authoritarianism in some places.

Maybe other countries value people's lives more? I was shocked to hear that PM claimed UK is a success against covid, after so many people have died.

The WHO says travel restrictions don't work. There is no good evidence proof of vaccination does anything either, from an evidence based perspective.

These things touch on the most basic rights in a democracy - freedom of movement, freedom to make medical decisions. etc. The fact that they are being justified even without a clear evidence base for efficacy is scary.

@Blubells

Lots of countries don't require vaccines to enter eg Turkey, Greece, Croatia to name a few.

You might be able to get into Greece unvaccinated but there will be places you can't go to / access once you've got there.

As above, lots of countries already don't require vaccine proof.
I think as Omicron wanes, and hopefully further variants will be weaker still in terms of severity and risk, more countries will relax their regulations. I imagine for this year (with summer travel coming up) there may be a kind of country by country imposing of rules from without- if you're from country A where most are vaccinated and there are lower cases, you can come. If you're from country B where cases are still high and not "enough" people are vaccinated, you need a test. If you're from country C etc etc
I imagine for the summer EU countries will have a unified free travel approach again.

From February you can enter the EU if you've 'recovered' from Covid - this is valid for 180 days!

Otherwise you need a negative test.

Actually you need an EU passport to benefit from these rules.

As vaccine efficacy reduces over time theres going to have to become a point where the vaccinated become the unvaccinated, its unlikely any country will continue to vaccinate their whole population every 3/6/12 months to allow people to travel.
I am hoping and preying Spain loosen their restrictions for teenagers by the summer re vaccination im more than happy to pay for tests instead