The US releases updated vaccines and testing rules for foreign travelers.
The White House announced Monday that foreign travelers would be allowed into the United States starting November 8 if they could present proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination with a WHO-approved snapshot and a corona test within three days of departure.
Why it matters: The updated guidelines, which exempt children under 18 from vaccine requirements, aim to provide more clarity to airlines and foreign nationals who have been barred from traveling to the United States since early 2020.
Travelers will be fully vaccinated two weeks after the last dose of the WHO-authorized vaccine, including four options not authorized by the Food and Drug Administration: AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm, and Sinovac. Mixed-dose vaccines will also be accepted.
Children under 18 will not need to provide proof of vaccination due to their ineligibility in many countries. However, children between 2 and 17 must still have a negative test within the previous three days.
Limited exceptions will apply to foreign nationals with medical contraindications to the vaccine, those traveling for emergency or humanitarian reasons, or from countries with a vaccination rate of less than 10% due to a lack of supply.
Non-vaccinated travelers, regardless of nationality or visa status, will need to test negative for COVID-19 within one day of departure, instead of the previous three days requirement.
Millions of people have received vaccines not currently authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization, such as the Russian Sputnik V. For the time being, they will continue to be banned from travel to the United States.
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