Purvi Parikh, an immunologist who has worked as an investigator for some of the COVID-19 vaccine trials,advises vaccines for travelers since the majority of the recent COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations are among nonvaccinated people. She also suggests checking local guidance and infection rates before booking a flight.
“You may want to defer travel if an area is having a spike or surge,” she said. “Be adaptable (because) much of this is dynamic and changing.”
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Is it safe to travel during the COVID delta surge?
Rachael Piltch-Loeb, a researcher at Harvard’s School of Public Health, says there’s no “one size fits all” piece of advice for travelers debating whether or not to postpone their trips. The level of risk depends on travelers’ vaccination status, whether they have an increased risk for severe illness and what the infection rate is like at their destination.
She added that breakthrough cases remain rare, but should be taken into consideration by vaccination travelers.
A small percentage of people who are fully vaccinated will still get COVID-19 if exposed to the virus that causes it but are much less likely to get severely sick or die, according to the CDC.
“I would think about my own risk tolerance, meaning am I OK if I get a little bit sick?” Piltch-Loeb said. “If you are uncomfortable with the potential that you may be infected ... then your decision making may be a little bit different.”
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