It has been almost 4 months since the US dropped their Covid testing requirement for entry to the US. Since that time, countries all over the world have been dropping requirements around Covid and reopening borders. However, the US still requires that foreigners must be vaccinated before entry to the US. I, and many, many others, think it is time to drop that requirement.
The US Needs to Drop the Vaccination Requirement for Entry
The term “following the science” has certainly become very common over the last couple of years yet it seems that governments use that when they want certain policies in place and then ignore it when they feel like it. This seems to be the case now since the science shows that this current policy is doing nothing to keep Covid out.
With most countries, even the ones that been the most strict, dropping vaccination requirements for entry, the US still has kept that requirement intact for foreigners wishing to visit the US. President Biden even recently said that the “pandemic is over” yet this requirement stays in place.
Plus, the US doesn’t even require boosters for entry, unlike some other countries had before dropping the requirements. Instead, just the main doses (two for those that require two shots and one for Johnson&Johnson). I am not getting into a debate here on vaccines, boosters, etc, but it seems odd that the US would institute a requirement for vaccination for entry without “updating” it for the boosters that they say are necessary for the infection mutations.
In addition, Canada, who had maintained strict restrictions, just announced that they are dropping their Covid restrictions, effective October 1.
Lastly, what is the point of requiring foreigners to be vaccinated but not requiring testing for anyone else? Does the virus differentiate who it infects based on their passport? If the US doesn’t care to test anyone entering the US at all and they do not require any paperwork anymore for US passport holders, they also should not require vaccinations for foreigners.
At this point, it seems like this policy is something the administration may have just forgotten about because it has been updated at all since it is was first instituted.
I understand some may wish to have this kept in place but it honestly does not even make sense anymore. There is no testing required to enter the US, there are no masks requirements when flying to or entering the US, and there are no vaccination requirements for anyone but foreigners. At this point, what’s the point?
You are right, of course, about the absurdity of the requirements but it’s really about playing to the xenophobic portion of the electorate rather than controlling COVID.
No one checks the cards. The cards are everywhere.
Many travelers worldwide are
waiting for the US to Drop the Vaccination Requirement for Entry.