News & Advice

Travel and COVID-19 Booster Shots: Here’s What to Know About the Just-Released CDC Guidelines

Experts weigh in.  
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In the wee hours of Friday morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its official guidelines for who should receive a COVID-19 booster shot. The release put an end to a period of uncertainty and debate over who should be first in line for the doses.

For now, the only government-approved booster shots are from Pfizer-BioNTech. That means that the new recommendations only apply to people who have received the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months ago. With that in mind, those now eligible for a Pfizer booster dose, according to the CDC, include:

  • People 65 years and older
  • Residents in long-term care settings
  • People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions
  • People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions, like diabetes or obesity, may receive a booster shoot based on their individual benefits and risks
  • People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their jobs—like healthcare workers, teachers, or grocery store workers—may receive a booster shot

Under these guidelines, 20 million Americans are currently eligible for a COVID booster shot as of today, President Joe Biden said in a press conference on Friday.

“My message today is this: If you’ve got the Pfizer vaccine in January, February, or March of this year, and you’re over 65 years of age, go get the booster,” Biden said. “Or if you have a medical condition of diabetes, or you’re a frontline worker like a healthcare worker or teacher, you can get a free booster now.”

It wasn’t immediately clear if flight attendants and pilots were considered eligible for the boosters as frontline workers. For his part, Biden noted he was planning to get his booster shot “as soon as I can.”

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration also made similar recommendations for who should receive booster shots. Although only Pfizer’s booster has been approved at this point, officials say that boosters for both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are currently undergoing the approval process as well.

What this means for travelers

For travelers who are eligible for a booster dose, experts say it could be worthwhile to try to get the shot before your next trip. “If you are eligible for a booster, and you can receive it two weeks before you travel, you will be able to travel with a boosted immune system that may confer additional protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization or death,” Keri Althoff, epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in an email. “Particularly if you are in a group at higher risk for COVID-19-related hospitalization or death (i.e., older adults and those with underlying medical conditions), a booster is a great idea before you travel to protect your health.”

Another factor to weigh is who you plan to travel with. “Consider the booster eligibility and status of all your traveling companions,” Althoff said. “You may consider booking travel for a time after those in your group who received Moderna or J&J are granted access.”

Travelers who receive a booster shot, especially those who are planning international travel, still need to pay attention to restrictions and guidelines at their destinations, as well as the rules for returning home. For instance, the U.S. still requires all travelers entering the country, including American citizens returning home, to provide a recent negative COVID-19 test result. “Even with a booster, you should still have a plan for what you will do if you become ill while traveling or when you return home,” Althoff said. Some possible solutions might include buying pandemic-eligible travel insurance for your trip and having a backup plan for international vacations in case the situation abroad changes.

“Wait your turn”

Both Biden and medical experts have emphasized that while booster shots are recommended, the first course of vaccines still protect against the coronavirus and the Delta variant, and they are still crucial. Furthermore, those who received a first vaccine dose other than Pfizer or who were vaccinated months ago are still protected from the coronavirus. “Millions of Americans got the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines,” Biden said. “My message for you is this: You still have a high degree of protection.”

Biden also emphasized that anyone who does not fall into one of the groups listed in the CDC guidelines should not try to access a booster shot at this time.

“We’re constantly looking at both Moderna and J&J,” Biden said. “In addition to that, we’re also looking to the time when we’re going to be able to expand the booster shots, basically across the board. So I would just say, it’d be better to wait your turn in line.”

The new recommendations for booster shots come several days after the Biden administration announced it would begin allowing international travelers to enter the U.S., as long as they were fully vaccinated. Travelers from the European Union and the U.K. are projected to be able to visit the U.S. as soon as November.