Covid Vaccines and US Entry?

[trixiee]

Hi There,

I'm taking my 10 yo grandson on a cruise between Christmas and New Years.  I had thought I read that he doesn't need a booster in order to enter into the US, but the Air Canada website is saying he does need to be vaxxed and boosted?  (My daughter-in-law is vaccine hesitant, but will get him boosted if required).

 

Can someone provide some clarity for me?

 

TIA

[d9704011]

The US does not require that he have a booster.

[LHT28]

23 minutes ago, trixiee said:

Hi There,

I'm taking my 10 yo grandson on a cruise between Christmas and New Years.  I had thought I read that he doesn't need a booster in order to enter into the US, but the Air Canada website is saying he does need to be vaxxed and boosted?  (My daughter-in-law is vaccine hesitant, but will get him boosted if required).

 

Can someone provide some clarity for me?

 

TIA

Do you have a link to the AC  requirement??

I am not seeing that he would need a booster

[Fouremco]

While the US does not require a booster, I think that anyone planning to cruise would be foolish not to maximize their protection. If your grandson is eligible, he should be given his booster.

[trixiee]

30 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Do you have a link to the AC  requirement??

I am not seeing that he would need a booster

Ah yes - he's ok I guess. He's had a vaccine, but no booster.

[d9704011]

5 minutes ago, trixiee said:

Ah yes - he's ok I guess. He's had a vaccine, but no booster.

Just to be clear, he needs to be fully vaccinated... not just 'had a vaccine'.

[trixiee]

3 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Just to be clear, he needs to be fully vaccinated... not just 'had a vaccine'.

So... he needs a booster then? 

[d9704011]

Just now, trixiee said:

So... he needs a booster then? 

No.  Typically (what has been mostly done in Canada), he has received both doses of a two-dose series (Moderna or Phizer-BioNTech).  The second dose, at least 14 days ago.  Here are the US requirements:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/proof-of-vaccination.html

[Fouremco]

This CDC chart is helpful:

 

Are you Fully Vaccinated for Air Travel to the United States?

You are considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose vaccine
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a clinical trial
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccinesadministered at least 17 days apart*

If you don’t meet these requirements, you are NOT considered fully vaccinated. A booster dose is not needed to meet this requirement.

A person who has received only one dose of an accepted 2-dose series and has recovered from COVID-19 does not meet this definition, and therefore is NOT considered fully vaccinated for travel to the United States.

*CDC has not recommended the use of mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine primary series. However, such strategies are increasingly common in many countries outside of the United States. Therefore, for the purpose of interpreting vaccination records for travel to the United States, CDC will accept combinations of accepted COVID-19 vaccines.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/proof-of-vaccination.html#fully-vaccinated

[Tango99]

7 hours ago, trixiee said:

Hi There,

I'm taking my 10 yo grandson on a cruise between Christmas and New Years.  I had thought I read that he doesn't need a booster in order to enter into the US, but the Air Canada website is saying he does need to be vaxxed and boosted?  (My daughter-in-law is vaccine hesitant, but will get him boosted if required).

 

Can someone provide some clarity for me?

 

TIA

If vaccination took place in Canada, 2 vaccines are needed to be considered fully vaccinated. (Canada didn’t use single dose vaccinations) A booster and other entry requirements may be required for some countries where you may be travelling. Check whichever airline you’re using for travel to the US.  And check out the spacing between vaccines in Ontario being administered ….. it was a window of minimum 120 days to 170 days between them. 

[CDNPolar]

Hey - some of the airline sites do not line up with country requirements.

 

We are flying Delta through ATL in December and I am fully vaxed with Moderna, but my husband's first dose was Astra Zeneca which was not originally accepted in the USA. (Originally, but now it is). 

 

Delta has rejected his upload of vaccination information because "one of the vaccine manufacturers is not from an accepted manufacturer". 

 

US entry requirements on a government site clearly states that Astra is accepted now but Delta does not see it that way.

 

Just go by the government requirements - study them carefully - and ensure that you have ALL your paperwork with you when you go through US Customs.

[CDNPolar]

Interesting....  I have relied on the Air Canada Travel Hub for most of our travel throughout the pandemic.  I used it as the first source then I would go to the country specific government sites.

 

I did a test of YYZ to ATL in December and this is what the Air Canada Travel Hub tells me as a requirement for Canadians traveling to USA.

 

Fully vaccinated travellers must complete the full course of COVID-19 vaccination for a maximum of 2 weeks before travelling to USA. The approved vaccines are 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of Convidecia (CanSinoBIO), Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

Travellers must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and receive all doses in the primary vaccination schedule. A booster dose is not needed to meet this requirement.

The US government currently accepts vaccines approved or authorized for emergency use by the US FDA and the WHO. Vaccines accepted are Pfizer-BioNTech (e.g., COMIRNATY/Tozinameran), AstraZeneca-Oxford (e.g., Covishield, Vaxzevria), Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Moderna, Sinopharm BIBP, Covaxin, Sinovac-CoronaVac, Convidecia (CanSinoBIO), Novavax/Covovax, and Medicago.

Any combination of 2 doses of an FDA-approved/authorized or WHO emergency use listed COVID-19 2-dose series is accepted. The second dose in a 2-dose heterologous series must have been received no earlier than 17 days (21 days with a 4-day grace period) after the first dose.

For more information about accepted proof of COVID-19 vaccination, please check the source.

Travellers unable to present a valid certificate may be required to comply with rules for unvaccinated travellers.

[trixiee]

Another problem is that a friend of my daughter-in-law is a travel agent, and she says that my grandson does not need to have another vaccine.  I sure would be unhappy if they refuse us entry to the US.  It took me 4 trips to the passport office due to the amount of custody paperwork required.  But that’s an entire separate issue.  🥹

[CDNPolar]

Just keep on top of all requirements every couple of days before departure.  Things can change overnight.

[LHT28]

7 hours ago, trixiee said:

Another problem is that a friend of my daughter-in-law is a travel agent, and she says that my grandson does not need to have another vaccine.  I sure would be unhappy if they refuse us entry to the US.  It took me 4 trips to the passport office due to the amount of custody paperwork required.  But that’s an entire separate issue.  🥹

Be sure  to have signed letters from the parents if you are  taking the child without the parent

Some cruise lines have a form to fill out

[NateUpNorth]

Where are you flying from? 
FWIW - We drive over and fly from Buffalo. 
Standard issue question these days is "everyone up front in the car vaccinated?" meaning my wife and I..... they never even ask about the kids in the backseat as they aren't required to be vaxxed to drive over. (both in the same age category as your grandchild)
(we cross frequently)

[Fouremco]

27 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

Where are you flying from? 
FWIW - We drive over and fly from Buffalo. 
Standard issue question these days is "everyone up front in the car vaccinated?" meaning my wife and I..... they never even ask about the kids in the backseat as they aren't required to be vaxxed to drive over. (both in the same age category as your grandchild)
(we cross frequently)

AFAIK, since January 22, 2022, the US has required non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination when requested. I'm not aware of any exemption for children old enough to be vaccinated. However, I suspect that your experience is more a question of practise than change in policy. When my son and grandson drove to a hockey tournament in Utica, NY, a few weeks ago, neither one was asked about his vaccination status, but I've seen no announcement from the CDC, US CBP, Homeland Security, etc., announcing that this requirement has been cancelled. 

 

 

[*Miss G*]

Children under the age of 18 are exempt from vaccination restrictions to enter the US.  Your cruise line may have their own restrictions.

 

LINK

 

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, *Miss G* said:

Children under the age of 18 are exempt from vaccination restrictions to enter the US.  Your cruise line may have their own restrictions.

 

LINK

 

The link you have provided applies to those flying into the US. I've not seen any similar exemption for those entering at land ports as suggested in post #16.

[*Miss G*]

15 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

The link you have provided applies to those flying into the US. I've not seen any similar exemption for those entering at land ports as suggested in post #16.

 

LINK

 

[Fouremco]

Just now, *Miss G* said:

 

LINK

 

Great. I'd looked for this but somehow missed it. It was logical that the exemption would apply equally to land ports, but for air travel it is clearly stated in the policy, while for land entry it's tucked away in the Q&A's under a question dealing with those unable to be vaccinated. Thanks for sharing the link, much appreciated.

[*Miss G*]

2 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Great. I'd looked for this but somehow missed it. It was logical that the exemption would apply equally to land ports, but for air travel it is clearly stated in the policy, while for land entry it's tucked away in the Q&A's under a question dealing with those unable to be vaccinated. Thanks for sharing the link, much appreciated.

 

Government bodies aren’t really known for their clarity.  Fortunately (unfortunately) I have some experience with them.  (<— huge understatement)

[trixiee]

48 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

The link you have provided applies to those flying into the US. I've not seen any similar exemption for those entering at land ports as suggested in post #16.

Ok.  Thank you!  I did see this last week, but was on Air Canada’s website this morning and read that all passengers travelling to the US had to be fully vaccinated.  
(We’re flying out of Toronto)

I will have a note from my son stating that I have his permission to take my grandson on a cruise.  He has sole custody, so will also take copies of court documents too.

will check with HAL tomorrow too…

thanx all! 

Edited December 7, 2022 by trixiee
Messed up

[StanleyandGus]

10 hours ago, trixiee said:

Ok.  Thank you!  I did see this last week, but was on Air Canada’s website this morning and read that all passengers travelling to the US had to be fully vaccinated.  
(We’re flying out of Toronto)

I will have a note from my son stating that I have his permission to take my grandson on a cruise.  He has sole custody, so will also take copies of court documents too.

will check with HAL tomorrow too…

thanx all! 

Nothing to add to the vaccination requirement, but have a wonderful time with your grandson!

[trixiee]

2 hours ago, StanleyandGus said:

Nothing to add to the vaccination requirement, but have a wonderful time with your grandson!

Thank you so much!