PFE Pfizer Inc

By Alison Sider 

People who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus can travel without putting themselves at serious risk as long as they wear masks and take other precautions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, moderating its blanket stance against travel.

The shift comes as new studies have shown that Covid-19 vaccines have been effective in real-world conditions at reducing the risk of infections with or without symptoms.

The CDC last month relaxed some of its safety guidelines for inoculated individuals, but continued to caution against unnecessary trips. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has pleaded with people to avoid nonessential travel in recent weeks, citing surges in case numbers that have followed holiday periods when travel picked up.

The CDC's stance had not been enough to contain what airlines describe as pent-up demand for travel. Airports have been bustling over spring break, with passenger volumes reaching their highest levels in a year. Airlines say bookings have been climbing as the pace of vaccinations ratcheted up in recent weeks. Some airline executives have said that their domestic leisure business is pretty much back to normal.

Dr. Walensky said Friday that fully vaccinated people don't need to get a Covid-19 test before or after domestic travel -- and don't need to self-quarantine following travel. Travelers who have been fully vaccinated also don't need to get tested prior to international flights unless that is required by the destination, and they don't need to self-quarantine when they return to the U.S.

"For example, grandparents who are fully vaccinated can fly to visit their grandkids without getting a COVID-19 test or self-quarantining, provided they follow the other recommended prevention measures while traveling," such as wearing masks on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation, Dr. Walensky said in prepared remarks.

People will still be required to test negative for Covid-19 or show proof of recovery from a recent infection before boarding any international flight to the U.S. That requirement, put in place earlier this year, applies to everyone flying to the U.S. from abroad, including those who have been vaccinated. Masks are also still required on nearly all forms of public transportation, including planes, regardless of vaccination status.

In a study published earlier this week, the CDC found that Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna Inc. and from Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech were 90% effective in reducing the risk of infection two weeks after a second dose. The data indicated that the vaccines are effective at reducing the risk of infections with or without symptoms -- -- further evidence that vaccines can slow the spread of the virus.

The CDC has said previously that fully vaccinated people can gather indoors with others who are also fully vaccinated without taking extra precautions. And, vaccinated people may gather with one other unvaccinated family without masks and distancing as long as the unvaccinated members are healthy and aren't at risk for developing a more serious case of Covid-19.

But the CDC has urged fully vaccinated people to continue taking precautions in public, in addition to medium or large private gatherings.

"With so many people still unvaccinated, it is important that everyone -- regardless of vaccination status -- continues to take preventive measures in public and adhere to our guidance on mitigation," Dr. Walensky said.

Write to Alison Sider at alison.sider@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 02, 2021 11:35 ET (15:35 GMT)

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