Tips for Going on Vacation After Being Vaccinated

If you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19, you may be wondering, “So, can I travel after getting the COVID vaccine?” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is safe to travel if you’re vaccinated, and recommends extra precautions if you are unvaccinated. 

What Does It Mean to Be Fully Vaccinated?

Before you make any travel plans, let’s clarify what the CDC means by being “fully vaccinated.” Individuals are considered to be fully vaccinated:

• Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, including the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson

• Two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose vaccine, including the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

No matter how old an individual is, if they do NOT meet these requirements, they are NOT fully vaccinated, and should continue to take the CDC’s outlined precautions until they are, especially if they plan on any sort of travel without getting vaccinated.

Exceptions to these guidelines include:

• People who are immuno-compromised (have a condition that weakens their immune system) may not be completely protected even if they are fully vaccinated.

• People who take medication(s) that weaken their immune system may not be completely protected even if they are fully vaccinated.

Individuals who fall into either category should continue to take all of the precautions recommended by the CDC for unvaccinated people unless (and until) they are told otherwise by their healthcare provider.

CDC-Recommended Safety Travel Tips

While medical experts concur that those who are fully vaccinated can go back to many of their pre-COVID activities, they also agree on following the CDC’s new travel guidelines. These include several safety steps you should still be taking when traveling, whether you’re fully vaccinated or not.

Wear a mask over your nose and mouth

Regardless of your vaccination status, wearing a mask in public enclosed areas is still the best way to maximize your safety from the Delta variant and other “spinoff strains” of SARS-CoV-2. This includes:

• Airports and airplanes, trains, buses, terminals and stations
• All forms of public transportation
• Hotel lobbies, hostels, and other shared lodgings
• Areas of high transmission rates (Not sure if your destination is experiencing substantial cases of COVID? Use this data tracker on the CDC website when planning your trip to monitor the situation.)
• Areas where masks are required by local laws, rules, and regulations

Avoid crowds

Try to avoid the busiest times for restaurants, theaters, tourist attractions, and other indoor spaces. Ask your travel agent or hotel concierge for the best off-peak times to visit the places on your agenda — sometimes, they’ll even be able to book you a better table for an early dinner, or snag better seats at a matinee performance. 

Wash your hands

COVID, including the Delta variant, is caused by a virus, and one of the best ways to limit spread and protect yourself and others is by washing your hands thoroughly and often. After spending time in a public place — or after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose — scrub your hands with plenty of soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.

What can you do when you’re traveling and find yourself without access to a restroom? Nice ’N CLEAN® SANI-HANDS® Sanitizing Hand Wipes kill and remove 99.99% of bacteria* on hands while also wiping away dirt and grime that gel sanitizers can't. Individually wrapped and portable, they are the perfect travel companion. Slip some in your suitcase, purse, or pocket, and you’re ready to see the sights! 

Learn More: Pandemic-Safe Travel Tips

When in doubt, disinfect 

Just being in a new place is part of the pleasure and the excitement of travel, but it also leaves the standard of sanitation up to others, especially in heavily-trafficked areas like tourist destinations (and their public restrooms.) You don’t need to leave anything to chance, though. Nice ’N CLEAN® Disinfecting Wipes have been clinically shown to kill bacteria and viruses, including 99% of the COVID-19 virus^ϕ in 3 minutes. Our extra large, pre-moistened wipes contain a proprietary solution designed to clean, deodorize, sanitize, and disinfect in one step. Use them on high-touch surfaces, such as:

• Airplane: Arm rests, tray tables, windows
• Cars: Steering wheel, console, dashboard, door handles
• Hotels: Remote control, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, toilets, faucets, sinks, phones
• Restaurants: Tables, chairs

Learn More: Can Disinfecting Wipes Kill COVID-19?

Healthy Travel Starts With CLEAN™

Despite the ongoing concerns about variant spreads and hotspot outbreaks, you can help keep yourself and your family safer and healthier by taking precautions when going on vacation after being vaccinated. In addition to wearing your mask indoors, always pack some Nice 'N CLEAN® Wipes in your carry-on so you have easy access to an easy and convenient way to clean surfaces or your hands while out and about. Healthy travel starts with CLEAN™ so always make sure you're well stocked with hand and disinfecting wipes. 

*Kills 99.9% of commonly found bacteria.

^ϕKills SARS-CoV-2 on hard, nonporous surfaces.

References:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html   
2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/JJUpdate.html 
3. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Moderna.html 
4. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html 
5. https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/27/politics/cdc-mask-guidance/index.html 
6. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view