Vaccination Passports- travel now while you can?

#1

This quote in particular caught my eye:

““Two things are true today; one, you can’t visit Paris and two, you probably haven’t been vaccinated. If you wait until those things are no longer true, chances are there’s not going to be any cheap flights left,” said Scott Keyes, Chief Flight Expert and Founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights.”

I’m not sure I fully understand what he’s saying there, but possibly that one should travel NOW while you can. Because most young, healthy people are not going to get vaccinated for many, many months.

I think there are going to be some other, unintended consequences of this policy, should it come to pass.

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#2

Like?
I think it definitely will happen. I’m not mad about it personally.

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#3

Packed WDW parks throughout all of 2022.

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#4

Meh I think that was a given. As soon as people feel it’s safe to travel, all the pent up demand is gonna explode.

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#5

I was thinking that they were more concerned with privacy and equity issues.

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#6

Even if I were vaccinated, I wouldn’t travel anyplace that required me to “show papers” beyond my identity and citizenship if crossing a border. Just too creepy.

Of course, we swore off airborne cattle cars a few years ago, so we probably wouldn’t be too limited. But, if Disney required me to show a ‘vaccination passport’, I wouldn’t go even though I’ve waited decades for it.

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#7

I’ve traveled to a lot of countries that require a yellow fever vaccination, which comes with a bright yellow card that you have to show along with your passport, so having to show a COVID vaccine wouldn’t bother me.

I also wouldn’t want to get either yellow fever or COVID!

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#8

I was trying to remember which vaccines it was, but I also am pretty sure I needed proof of some sort of vaccinations before I was allowed an Indian visa!

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#9

@Pod. I don’t understand what he’s saying in that quote. I’ll read the whole article in a few minutes.

@shawthorne44
Once upon a time my days were filled with vacation dreaming. Conducting “feasibility studies” on destinations and looking at Google earth were my mental health breaks during the long winter days. Now there isn’t a thing I can think of that I want to do badly enough that I’d take a vaccine for an illness I already had and found less troublesome than a head cold.

I’m not saying I wouldn’t enjoy a few days on a beach. And I’d cruise in a heart beat from a Covid standpoint. But getting this vaccine and carrying papers are a hard pass.
I’ve been to Africa and gotten the required vaccines and malaria pills and what not. But that was a one off 24 years ago.

I know, I know, more room for the rest and all. I’ll keep these predictions in mind as I look for a new house. Better get one with room for a pool.

Time will tell!

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#10

Well, @davej pointed out one- packed parks once people get wind of something like this potentially happening.

Also, people being a little less vigilant about avoiding COVID. I will say, that my friends who’ve had it, and done well, feel as if a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. They feel free. Since this is by and large the same group who is not going to be eligible for shots for many months because they’re young and healthy, I wonder if this creates some type of perverse incentive. Also an incentive to jump the line with shots, where they might not have tried it before because they’re not at high risk.

Conversely, people who’ve suffered the most isolation (people who have been ill and the elderly) will be able to go out and about and have a really nice experience with things being uncrowded and perhaps less expensive. I feel like they kind of deserve it. Health care workers, too.

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#11

yes, this!

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#12

Yup, He’s saying exactly that. Because once everyone’s vaccinated, flights prices are back to normal (or even higher), any sales are gonna be done, and people are still going to be mobbing places regardless of those 2 factors. And it’ll likely be a full year before that calms down.

It’s like going to Disney right now. Stupid cheap flights and up to 40% off for hotel room. I can’t imagine ever seeing that again once everyone is vaccinated enough to go. So if it’s safe enough and you are willing and able to travel now, now’s the time to go.

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#13

Also - speaking as someone who is actively hoping to go to Paris in August - there aren’t even any cheap flights now! Mostly because the routes are demolished with the travel restrictions. We are hoping to find some sort of sweet spot if more routes open up before the demand floodgates open.

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#14

These predictions of outrageous crowd levels are making me reconsider my plans for 2022.
Viewing characters at a distance and some restaurants not being open are things my family can handle (most won’t know what they’re missing).

But being relegated to quick serve because there’s no ADRs and skipping headliners because of huge lines… yikes.

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#15

Yep, was on the fence about a trip this year, but I think I have to go before it gets too crazy.

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#16

Yes!

Yes, some people are- the gist of this article makes me think the travel industry isn’t, though.:wink: I have wondered how it would conflict with HIPAA and the ADA, and from what I’ve read, it doesn’t.

Where I think it might fail is age discrimination. The vaccination guidelines have age as a major criterion. I think a younger person would have a case that requiring the vaccine to travel, before it is widely available, constitutes age discrimination.

So this may not happen as soon as the people in the article think it will.

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#17

The travel industry has one motivation. Get people to travel!

They need to cash in on any pent up demand that is there. And, people need to feel safe. If the industry believes more people will feel safe enough to travel with everyone carrying vaccine proof, then they will establish that requirement. If that’s what it takes to get people back to work, so be it.

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#18

I could also see some sort of alternative of an “antibody passport”. That is, one would either need proof of a positive antibody test within X days of travel or proof of vaccination.

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#19

Yeah, I won’t travel out of the country if I need a vaccine passport. I did get vaccines to travel to Trinidad and Tobago, but they were recommended and voluntary. My friend had to get a malaria vaccine to go to Africa and that really messed her up for a couple of years.

I doubt any business in the US will require a vaccine. That would be a liability and I don’t know of too many that are even requiring a negative Covid test at this point. Tests aren’t a guarantee of being negative and vaccines are no guarantee of immunity.

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#20

I agree. I think it will eventually happen, but only after vaccines are widely available (which could happen this year late summer if J&J is approved and studies on kids are completed).

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