Nearly all U.S. visitors will need to be vaccinated before they can enter the country. This would replace bans placed on travelers by each country and it would not apply to U.S. citizens returning home or permanent residents.A White House official said Wednesday that the Biden administration is working on a plan to require almost all foreign visitors to the United States be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to eventually lift travel restrictions that prevent many people from entering the United States. According to the official, while the White House would like to reopen travel to increase business for airlines and tourism, it is not ready to lift restrictions immediately due to the increasing COVID-19 caseload and the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant.A policy like this must address many issues, including:What vaccines are considered safe? For example, would AstraZeneca be approved for use in the U.S. if it wasn't approved for that purpose? Despite being used in large parts of the world, would China's less efficient Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines be approved?For example, would AstraZeneca be approved for use in the U.S. if it wasn't? Even though the vaccines are used in many parts of the world, China's less efficient Sinovac and Sinopharm would be acceptable. How high a level of vaccination is necessary? Although a Pfizer first dose is more effective than a single dose, it still requires two doses to ensure that you are fully vaccinated.Although a Pfizer first dose is more effective than a single dose, it still requires two doses to make sure that the child is fully vaccinated. It is known that antibodies decrease and some evidence suggests that immunity may also diminish.We know antibodies decrease, but there are some indications that immunity could also be declining. Which proof can be accepted? The US CDC cards do not provide a universal verification mechanism, and the U.S. airlines might not be able to interface with any other world data systems.Any system that increases the chances that visitors are vaccinated is better for public health. It is also better than the current system, which bans Europeans who have not been vaccinated but allows Russians and Indonesians to enter.
