Unable to be vaccinated for health reasons?

[Paulras]

She needs a new doctor. One who follows evidence-based medicine.

[GottaKnowWhen]

On 10/22/2021 at 11:41 AM, the penguins said:

This is to important to leave to chance or misinterpretation. Speak to Celebrity or better still the Captains Club and ask for a formal written statement of the policy. I must say I thought there were no exceptions but things change so often.

Summer? That is months and months from now! Meanwhile, A - she may get different advice and finally get vaccinated for her own sake and others’; B - the restrictions may be loosened and she may be able to travel to the specific destinations you have in mind; or C - you may need to cancel and get a refund. I would make the reservations and start making contingency plans.

[Guppy99]

On 10/22/2021 at 11:25 AM, 39august said:

Does anyone know how a person,  unable to be vaccinated because of a physical condition,  is able to board a cruise ship as part of the 5% unvaccinated.? My DIL has lyme disease and her doctor advises she should not risk vaccination. Yet we would like for her to join us on a cruise this summer. 

You can not. The 5% is to allow children who are unable to be vaccinated by the time the ship is sailing.

My opinion is that no one unvaccinated should be allowed to board, for their own safety and the safety of all the other passengers. Also, if she is being treated for Lyme, she should be able to be vaccinated in a timely fashion before next summer. Lyme disease does not create a chronic condition unless it goes untreated. Also, I think she should get another opinion because as it was explained to me, she should be among those first in line to get vaccinated. Perhaps she's making an assumption or an excuse for not wanting to get it.

[LGW59]

29 minutes ago, Guppy99 said:

You can not. The 5% is to allow children who are unable to be vaccinated by the time the ship is sailing.

My opinion is that no one unvaccinated should be allowed to board, for their own safety and the safety of all the other passengers. Also, if she is being treated for Lyme, she should be able to be vaccinated in a timely fashion before next summer. Lyme disease does not create a chronic condition unless it goes untreated. Also, I think she should get another opinion because as it was explained to me, she should be among those first in line to get vaccinated. Perhaps she's making an assumption or an excuse for not wanting to get it.

OP stated her Dr advised her not to get it.  Though as many have said, lots of research out there saying differently.  Agree though all should be vaccinated before being allowed on the ship.

[terrydtx]

It may not be true for the OP SIL, but not being able to be vaccinated, for medical reasons, has become a convenient excuse for anti-vaxxers to justify not getting vaccinated. I have friends who have admitted this. Being able to take a cruise is not a right and if one doesn't want to follow the rules for boarding then stay home and travel by some other means. Until this pandemic is history, I believe all cruise ships lines should require 100% vaccination to cruise.

Edited October 24, 2021 by terrydtx

[Guppy99]

2 hours ago, LGW59 said:

OP stated her Dr advised her not to get it.  Though as many have said, lots of research out there saying differently.  Agree though all should be vaccinated before being allowed on the ship.

You know....when I decided to do something (or not) when I was younger, I would occasionally say it was "doctors orders" to avoid the argument. Don't tell me that doesn't happen. I merely suggested that she should get a second opinion.  The science says you should be vaccinated if you have Lyme disease. I ask every client coming to my office if they have been vaccinated. If they have not been they must stay 6 ft away and be masked across nose and mouth.  The excuses I've heard for not being vaccinated is astounding and stupid. I don't challenge anyone's personal decision, however, I don't have to endorse it either.  Asking to be an "exception" is out of line. 

[cruising sister]

As a physician I am suspicious of any reputable infectious disease doctor advising not to get vaccinated. There are a lot of so called “Lyme disease” specialists out there giving bad advise and treatments and missing serious conditions. Definitely suggest another opinion. 

[tfred]

On 10/23/2021 at 12:06 AM, cdn_tbird said:

There have been a handful on news stories recently of doctors being caught giving out fraudulent Covid exemption notes. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of companies take a very hard stance against exemptions.

the same doctors writing notes for "service dogs' no doubt

[upwarduk]

I know someone who is allergic to fruit, so was wondering if the vaccine would cause anaphylactic shock.

She has been vaccinated by a doctor and fortunately she was ok.

Edited October 31, 2021 by upwarduk

[Yoshikitty]

It has been said before: If your health is compromised to a degree that you can‘t be vaccinated against Covid - you should try to avoid other people as much as you can - because you are basically double-unprotected.

A cruiseship is not a good place to be under those circumstances.

[drakes2]

On 10/22/2021 at 7:15 PM, Northern Aurora said:

I agree with @Covepointcruiser.   Folks who can't receive a Covid-19 vaccine should not be on a cruise ship.

No vaccine no cruising. Not fair to others.

[drakes2]

17 hours ago, tfred said:

the same doctors writing notes for "service dogs' no doubt

I agree.  Some doctors are giving out exemptions for the vaccine for medical reasons. They also give wheelchair parking passes to people who do not require them. Doctors get audited too. 

[Guppy99]

20 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

I agree.  Some doctors are giving out exemptions for the vaccine for medical reasons. They also give wheelchair parking passes to people who do not require them. Doctors get audited too. 

I agree, this happens all the time. The problem with the false vaccine exemptions is that it poses a health risk to others (instead of just providing a convenience for the recipient). Just as a brief side comment, handicapped stickers are for people with health issues (temporary and permanent) that have difficulty walking. That can often include invisible disabilities, which are legitimate. Heart disease, COPD, etc. are examples.  Please do not be too quick to judge.

[drakes2]

7 minutes ago, Guppy99 said:

I agree, this happens all the time. The problem with the false vaccine exemptions is that it poses a health risk to others (instead of just providing a convenience for the recipient). Just as a brief side comment, handicapped stickers are for people with health issues (temporary and permanent) that have difficulty walking. That can often include invisible disabilities, which are legitimate. Heart disease, COPD, etc. are examples.  Please do not be too quick to judge.

Of course you are right. Thank you for enlightening me as I did not realize that. 

[TeeRick]

2 hours ago, Yoshikitty said:

It has been said before: If your health is compromised to a degree that you can‘t be vaccinated against Covid - you should try to avoid other people as much as you can - because you are basically double-unprotected.

A cruiseship is not a good place to be under those circumstances.

Hopefully there will be effective, new COVID anti-viral drugs (oral tablets) like the one from Merck which is about to get an EUA in the US.  Then people who truly cannot get the vaccine (for health reasons) will have other choices to protect them from severe COVID.  Also if cruise ships carry these drugs it will be another safeguard.

[wrk2cruise]

6 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Also if cruise ships carry these drugs it will be another safeguard.

 

Then if you test positive they can hand them to you as you are escorted down the gangway 😀

[TeeRick]

Just now, wrk2cruise said:

 

Then if you test positive they can hand them to you as you are escorted down the gangway 😀

Yes they would likely give you anti-virals on board as one option if you decided to take them.  For the immediate future they would likely still get you off the ship.  But long term annual management of COVID will become like other respiratory infections and will be handled by vaccines and drugs.  It will eventually not be a big deal to cruise.  Maybe testing on board if you feel ill.  Then anti-virals.  This will be the norm in a few years.  Fingers crossed.😀

[nocl]

56 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Hopefully there will be effective, new COVID anti-viral drugs (oral tablets) like the one from Merck which is about to get an EUA in the US.  Then people who truly cannot get the vaccine (for health reasons) will have other choices to protect them from severe COVID.  Also if cruise ships carry these drugs it will be another safeguard.

However, the anti viral only reduces  serious cases by 50 percent. Not anywhere close to being ad effective to vaccines and should not be considered as a replacement for. While I have not seen the data from those trials the side effect profiles for antivirals are usually worse than those for vaccines.

[kearney]

No one here really knows. I would call. I thought that the 5% allowance for unvaccinated were for people who could not get vaccinated... otherwise not sure who that 5% would be. But I would look at the contact list and ask directly. When we booked our upcoming cruises...we were asked our vaccination status as we were booking..so I assume that was to help make sure they did not exceed the 5%...but that is my assumption. https://www.celebritycruises.com/company/customer-support/contact-us  You might want to contact captains club... at least before covid they were the place to go for more complicated questions..not sure if staffing is such that they have the expertise..but a place to start.

[TeeRick]

41 minutes ago, nocl said:

However, the anti viral only reduces  serious cases by 50 percent. Not anywhere close to being ad effective to vaccines and should not be considered as a replacement for. While I have not seen the data from those trials the side effect profiles for antivirals are usually worse than those for vaccines.

Yes understood.  Not by any means a replacement for vaccines.  But another tool against COVID.  And possibly helpful for those unvaccinated for medical issues as the thread topic.  We shall see.  An oral anti-viral is another step forward anyway.

[KKB]

It's so unfortunate that even MD's don't always do their research/use reliable sources.

 

My 77YO MIL's small town doctor advised her not to get the 2nd shot (nor booster) after she developed hives a couple weeks after her 1st shot. I mentioned this to my doc & he said more likely she had an allergic reaction to something else that much later. And even if it WAS from the shot, they can administer Benedryl if it happens again.

 

People with underlying conditions (like Lyme disease) should be the 1st in line, according to the AMA & CDC.

[Guppy99]

1 hour ago, kearney said:

No one here really knows. I would call. I thought that the 5% allowance for unvaccinated were for people who could not get vaccinated... otherwise not sure who that 5% would be. But I would look at the contact list and ask directly. When we booked our upcoming cruises...we were asked our vaccination status as we were booking..so I assume that was to help make sure they did not exceed the 5%...but that is my assumption. https://www.celebritycruises.com/company/customer-support/contact-us  You might want to contact captains club... at least before covid they were the place to go for more complicated questions..not sure if staffing is such that they have the expertise..but a place to start.

The 5% includes children who were ineligible. In the beginning, that  included anyone under 16 and shortly thereafter anyone under 12.   The % now of ineligible cruisers

should actually be much lower.

[nocl]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Yes understood.  Not by any means a replacement for vaccines.  But another tool against COVID.  And possibly helpful for those unvaccinated for medical issues as the thread topic.  We shall see.  An oral anti-viral is another step forward anyway.

Agree that it is another tool, just not a reason about not vaccinating.

[kearney]

34 minutes ago, Guppy99 said:

The 5% includes children who were ineligible. In the beginning, that  included anyone under 16 and shortly thereafter anyone under 12.   The % now of ineligible cruisers

should actually be much lower.

I went back and looked at the policy and they may not make exceptions... originally... there was the cut off at 12% and I believe they allowed some other unvaccinated...but then ports like Bahamas required vaccinations and cruise lines further modified protocols... I was up on this until we decided to cancel our Aug cruise... which is one reason I suggest OP go directly to Celebrity.. because things are still in flux. The information on the effectiveness of the vaccine seems to change as well... from what I can piece together...it seems the vaccine helps to protect you from getting really sick...but you can still get and importantly transmit the virus. I heard a doctor talk about vaccination like wearing a helmet on a motorcycle... it won't keep you from dying in an accident but you have a better chance of surviving. But it appears that if you think being around all vaccinated people will prevent you from getting covid...sounds like you could still get it from another vaccinated person.  I am of an age that delaying travel much longer may mean no travel at all...so I will get my booster and have a good time...but...I will not fly...no needed pushing my luck. Note how we don't know the vaccine or covid status of the person sitting next to you on a plane or on that shuttle to the hotel.

[Bo1953]

3 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

I agree, this happens all the time. The problem with the false vaccine exemptions is that it poses a health risk to others (instead of just providing a convenience for the recipient). Just as a brief side comment, handicapped stickers are for people with health issues (temporary and permanent) that have difficulty walking. That can often include invisible disabilities, which are legitimate. Heart disease, COPD, etc. are examples.  Please do not be too quick to judge.

I Am always quick to judge, as in 'just because there is no visible handicap, does not mean that there is something going on which I cannot readily discern.'

 

In health and bon voyage