The policy also means unvaccinated US citizens can enter the country, as long as they show proof a negative test taken a day before travelling. It means, technically, people can fly into the US even if they are positive for the virus - so long as they are vaccinated. The Biden Administration dropped the requirement for international travelers to the US to provide a negative Covid test last June, but does not appear ready to budge on the shots. Only a handful of nations have kept them, mainly in the Middle East and Africa.Įxperts agree, whatever the figure, the vaccines have had a hugely protective effect, saving an estimated 3million American lives and preventing 19m hospitalizations.īut the shots are significantly less effective at stopping transmission, dropping efficacy below 30 percent three months after immunization.ĭr Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, admitted last year the shots 'can't prevent transmission anymore'. Virtually all European countries, including the UK, have ditched the measure. Most countries ditched so-called 'vaccine passports' months ago when they failed to keep infections low, making the US an outlier in the West. It needs to end.'Įxperts have increasingly accepted that Covid vaccines - while highly effective at preventing severe illness - do not stop infections very well. 'So, why do we subject visitors who want to see their families to this Covid-19 double standard? The CDC's unscientific mandate is separating too many people from their families and has been doing so for far too long. Many of these members are unvaccinated, and many haven't taken boosters. Mr Massie said in a statement on January 12: 'If you watched C-SPAN last week, you saw 434 Members of Congress gathered in the Capitol screaming, yelling, cheering, and speaking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mandate was originally brought in in November 2021 amid the Omicron wave that sent infection rates rocketing globally, when dozens of countries put similar restrictions in place.Īmerica has extended the order multiple times, most recently quietly last month to keep it in place until April 10.Ĭritics of the Covid vaccine passport said it is a 'double standard' when many American citizens and Congress members are not fully vaccinated. It is still unclear if the measure will be scrapped in May when the coronavirus public health emergency is due to expire along with the majority of the remaining restrictions and laws.ĭespite its continued support for the policy, the Biden Administration did acknowledge that the country was approaching 'the end of the public health emergency,' and that it would let science guide 'any termination or modification' of any given policy. Republicans have been trying to use their new powers in the GOP-controlled House to have the measure scrapped because there is no public data showing it has reduced infections or deaths.īut the White House yesterday praised the policy in a statement for having 'allowed loved ones across the globe to reunite while reducing the spread of Covid and the burdens it places on the health care system in the United States'. The Biden Administration has praised the Covid vaccine entry requirement for travelers to the US - raising fears the controversial curb could stay beyond May 11.
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