US to End Covid-19 Emergency Measures on May 11th – Vaccine-Free Travel for Foreigners Soon?

After almost 3 years, the US government is going to issue one final extension of the Covid emergency measures and then stop it. This means many things in various parts of the medical and insurance areas but our area is travel so let us see how this may affect that.

US Ending Covid-19 Emergency Measures

The one big measure that is currently still in existence in regards to international travel to the US is that all non-US residents/citizens that fly to the US must have proof of Covid vaccination before boarding their flight to the US.

I had said a while ago that this should have been gone a while ago and I definitely still think it needs to go. There is no purpose for it since US citizens and residents are allowed to freely enter the US without a vaccination and airlines have stopped mask use onboard as well. Not only that, but there are no testing requirements either.

Unlike other countries, the US had placed the burden of examining these vaccination certificates on the airlines. Once you board the plane, you are not asked again for information about it. It all takes place at the counter of the flight you are taking to the US.

This has placed an increased burden (and, in some cases, ridiculously long lines) on these airlines and their employees to make sure that they are abiding by the rules of the US Government.

These measures were initially put in place in response to the US Covid emergency measures. Now that these measures are set to end May 11, that should mean that the Covid vaccination requirement for foreigners should also end.

The CDC is planning on trying to do airliner wastewater examinations to check for Covid numbers as well. This was done in Malaysia last year and it was found that over 96% of flights tested had Covid markers in the wastewater of the plane.

Obviously, Covid is going to be around but requiring people to be vaccinated in order to fly to the US – with the only requirement being that you are not a US resident or citizen – is something that should be put to rest. Most countries have done away with testing and vaccination requirements and it is time for the US to end it as well.

While I have not found anything specifically related to the vaccination requirement ending, since it was something tied to the emergency measures, I would imagine that it will be ending May 11 (if not earlier) as well.