CDC Eases COVID Vaccination Requirements for Foreign Travelers

Single Dose of Pfizer or Moderna Vaccine Sufficient for International Travelers to Enter US: CDC

Good news for international travelers! The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidelines, stating that a single dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is sufficient for foreign travelers to meet the requirements to enter the United States.

What You Need to Know

• Foreign travelers who have received a single dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines meet the requirements to enter the United States.
• The CDC will consider anyone with a record of a single dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine issued on or after August 16, 2022, to meet the requirements of the Amended Order to board a plane to the United States.
• The bivalent vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer were first introduced in the United States as boosters in the fall of 2022. They’re now available as a one-dose primary series for most Americans, replacing the old vaccines.
• The CDC recommends that some people get an updated shot as a booster even if they already received one, despite fleeting protection against hospitalization and poor shielding against infection.
• To present proof of vaccination, a person must show a digital or paper record such as a vaccination certificate from the European Union.

The United States has required noncitizen nonimmigrants to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination since 2021, under a proclamation issued by President Joe Biden. Exceptions are given for certain reasons. No religious exceptions are accepted.

The vaccination requirements state that a traveler arriving by air must be fully vaccinated, defined as two weeks after receiving a dose of an accepted single-dose vaccine or the second dose of an accepted two-dose series.

The United States is one of a small number of nations that still require proof of vaccination to enter the country.

It’s not clear whether the foreigner vaccination requirements will remain in place beyond May 11, when the U.S. public health emergency over COVID-19 is set to expire. The COVID-19 national emergency was already rescinded after Biden signed legislation that was approved by Congress.