Children vaccination for US

[loveisagirlnameddaisy]

I know there are a few other threads on travel to the US but I didn't want to hijack with my specific query.

We're hoping to go to Florida at Easter and have two children, 12 and 9. Neither are vaccinated. I've checked the CDC website but can't tell if children are exempt from requiring vaccines. It says that everyone aged 2 and over will need a negative test, but it doesn't clarify (that I could see) ages for vaccination status.

Can anyone help? thanks

It currently only applies to 18 and over, everyone under 18 just needs to provide a negative test result.

We traveled recently with a 5 and 10 year old, just negative antigen 24 hours prior to flight.

Great, thanks

It's worth checking that the city you're traveling to doesn't have a vaccination requirement for indoor venues and dining when it comes to kids. As NYC and Philadelphia currently do for children, so they have to be fully vaxxed to enter. Not all cities require this though.

From what I'm reading, Florida is not enforcing anything that doesn't need to be and is anti making vaccines mandatory. But I can't find anything specific that says children don't need vaccines to enter restaurants.

Oh yeah, Florida would never have a vaccination requirement, lol! You'll be fine going there I'm sure! Sorry I totally missed that you mentioned Florida in your OP.

I went to Florida 4 weeks ago...
Rules may change anyway.
Our rules seemed to be that if adults in the party were 'fully vaccinated' (USA has its own rules what that means, similar to but not same as UK) then the kids just needed the negative LFT. CDC recommends isolation & more tests after you land, but that's just recommendations. DH, as our token non-American, had lots of paperwork just in case & of course ESTA; American citizens aren't turned away regardless of vacc status but Feds strongly want unvacc'd American arrivals to quarantine (not enforced in FL).

In FL, Nobody checks on vaccine status to go to cinema, Casino*, shops, restaurant, touristy places. National & state parks ask for masks in their indoor spaces but it's only loosely enforced in many of those... Airplane/airport was the only place where it felt like masking was strictly enforced. There's finally some call now about demanding that staff & passengers have neg-covid tests to get on domestic flights. Supreme Court just knocked back Biden rules that every employer with 100+ staff must require staff to be jabbed or provide daily negative tests -- SCOTUS said that the congressional laws didn't intend that level of powers to belong to Feds but states can still make (have powers to make) their own rules demanding all employees in large companies get jabbed.

Land of the free, eh?
New York City apparently demands proof of jab everywhere, i am hearing on radio...

*my Covid paranoid relatives (in Florida) go to Casino a lot.

@lljkk

I went to Florida 4 weeks ago... Rules may change anyway. Our rules seemed to be that if adults in the party were 'fully vaccinated' (USA has its own rules what that means, similar to but not same as UK) then the kids just needed the negative LFT. CDC recommends isolation & more tests after you land, but that's just recommendations. DH, as our token non-American, had lots of paperwork just in case & of course ESTA; American citizens aren't turned away regardless of vacc status but Feds strongly want unvacc'd American arrivals to quarantine (not enforced in FL).

In FL, Nobody checks on vaccine status to go to cinema, Casino*, shops, restaurant, touristy places. National & state parks ask for masks in their indoor spaces but it's only loosely enforced in many of those... Airplane/airport was the only place where it felt like masking was strictly enforced. There's finally some call now about demanding that staff & passengers have neg-covid tests to get on domestic flights. Supreme Court just knocked back Biden rules that every employer with 100+ staff must require staff to be jabbed or provide daily negative tests -- SCOTUS said that the congressional laws didn't intend that level of powers to belong to Feds but states can still make (have powers to make) their own rules demanding all employees in large companies get jabbed.

Land of the free, eh?
New York City apparently demands proof of jab everywhere, i am hearing on radio...

*my Covid paranoid relatives (in Florida) go to Casino a lot.

Really useful info, thanks!

Immigration and the “rules and regs” for getting into the country are a federal matter do it makes no difference whether you are going to Florida or New York or Wyoming…children do not need to be vaxxed to get into the country. Each state has different requirements regarding masks, indoor venues etc. Florida is one of the most relaxed states about the whole thing. Probably only South Dakota is more relaxed. Over Ron DeSantis’ dead body would there be a vaxx mandate in Florida. It’ll never happen.

Airplane/airport was the only place where it felt like masking was strictly enforced.

That’s because airports and air space are federal, not state, property.

@BritWifeInUSA

Immigration and the “rules and regs” for getting into the country are a federal matter do it makes no difference whether you are going to Florida or New York or Wyoming…children do not need to be vaxxed to get into the country. Each state has different requirements regarding masks, indoor venues etc. Florida is one of the most relaxed states about the whole thing. Probably only South Dakota is more relaxed. Over Ron DeSantis’ dead body would there be a vaxx mandate in Florida. It’ll never happen.

Thanks, and yes, understand the difference between federal and state. Just didn't want to end up in a situation where kids are not allowed in certain venues due to being unvaccinated (as it sounds is the case in NY)

This page from cdc says children over 5 have to be vaccinated against covid.

wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/united-kingdom

Whoops - that is from USA to U.K. - apologies.

I am in the same situation with a 15yo, it’s so hard to find what you are supposed to do.

@loveisagirlnameddaisy

From what I'm reading, Florida is not enforcing anything that doesn't need to be and is anti making vaccines mandatory. But I can't find anything specific that says children don't need vaccines to enter restaurants.

You'll find that some attractions require (and very actively enforce) mask wearing, but we did not come across anywhere in the two parts of Florida we visited last week that required children to be vaccinated.