Vaccines for COVID-19 are well underway but that doesn't mean travel is inherently safe. For much of the population still, travel is still risky business and, according to many experts, it will take a reasonable amount of time before it's deemed 'safe' for everyone - or at least, safer. Right now, travel is changing somewhat and is being altered to adapt to those who have been vaccinated, as well as to improve safety measures for everyone.
For those who haven't been vaccinated, things are still very much status quo - and with even more restrictions now, as travel bans for many countries are still in place. For those who have been vaccinated, have gone through both phases of the vaccine, and waited the appropriate amount of time following, the risks may slowly be starting to fall away.
Here's exactly what's been changing.
Masks Are Still Very Much Required And Likely Will Be For Some Time
Masks are still the only, and best, defense against the virus for those who have not been vaccinated yet. This, combined with proper and frequent hand-washing as well as social distancing, has been proven incredibly effective.
This means that for the foreseeable future, each one of these things will be the norm with no end date in sight as of now. Even more so, those who have been vaccinated will also need to continue following these protocols, for a reason we'll explain later on.
Vaccines Might Allow You To Travel, But They'll Require Proof
Vaccinations protect a person against the virus with up to 95% efficiency, which makes it a potent weapon against being infected. However, travelers can say goodbye to their chances of traveling without solid proof of vaccination, whether it's in the form of vaccination papers or a vaccination passport, which has also been discussed.
The Safest Time To Travel Is Post-Herd Immunity
For those who are legitimately concerned about traveling, with or without a vaccine, experts claim it won't be 'safe' until the world, or the country a person is traveling in, has reached herd immunity.
This means that most of the population has been vaccinated and is guarded against the virus, lowering community transmission to the point where the risk of being infected is incredibly low. With fewer people getting sick, the virus has less of a chance to mutate and become stronger.
At This Point, It's Unclear If Vaccines Prevent Transmission At All
It should be said, again and again, that a vaccine does not prevent a person from transmitting the virus at this stage. At the time of writing, there's no definitive proof regarding whether or not the vaccine protects more than the person who's vaccinated - which means it can still be spread to those who aren't protected.
This is why safety protocols must be followed regardless of vaccines or not as long as there are others out there who have not had the chance to get protected.
Traveling Still Poses Risks, To Ourselves And Others
Even with the vaccine, there's still a 5% chance (or slightly more) that a person could be infected. While the symptoms might be mild or nonexistent, it's still a risk. Traveling often puts people from all over the world together in an enclosed space, which also increased the risk of transmission. Therefore, it's important to consider who's traveling, who may not be protected, and how much the risk is worth it.
Some Protocols Are Here To Stay While Others Will Slowly Disappear
As previously mentioned, protocols such as wearing masks, hand-washing, and social distancing are likely here to stay for a while. In exchange, as herd immunity is reached and more people are vaccinated, things such as temperature checks and negative COVID-19 tests are likely to be phased out. Depending on the timeline between now and herd immunity, it could happen sooner or later than expected.
Change Fees Are Likely To Stay Gone
Thankfully, a positive change to come out of the pandemic is the eradication of change fees. With so many people having to change plans which include anything from hotel bookings to flight tickets, change fees are slowly being phased out in order to allow people to do so.
This helps to mitigate the risk associated with traveling because people feel less forced - or pressured - to keep their plans, and also allows them to put their money back into the travel industry when it's safe to travel once again. This level of flexibility is likely here to stay as there's no timeline on when the world will be open again.