(Washington) Minors under the age of 18 will not need to prove they are vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States after November 8, the United States administration said Monday.
A senior White House official, during a conference call clarifying the modalities of reopening borders to air travel, said the exemption took into account both regulatory differences between countries on childhood immunizations, and the availability of vaccines.
The United States will reopen its borders to vaccinated people on November 8, which it had closed from March 2020 to millions of travelers from around the world, excluding compelling reasons for travel.
Children over two years of age, and unvaccinated, should be tested within three days of departure if traveling with vaccinated adults. The deadline is reduced to one day if they are traveling alone or with unvaccinated adults.
In general, any foreigner must be tested (antigen test or PCR) within three days before leaving if he is vaccinated, or in the day before departure if he is not vaccinated.
The same testing requirements will apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents returning to the United States.
According to the White House, it will be up to airlines to check proof of vaccination before boarding.
The United States had already indicated that it would accept all vaccines recognized in the emergency procedure of the World Health Organization (AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer / BioNTech, Sinopharm and Sinovac).
They will also allow different vaccine combinations for the first dose and boosters, the White House said.
Finally, airlines will have to collect information from travelers allowing US health authorities to contact them after entering the country, in the event of infection or contact with an infected person.
The health authorities will authorize some “very limited” exceptions to the compulsory vaccination for adults.
According to a document distributed by the American administration, in addition to children, some participants in clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines will be exempted, people with medical contraindications to vaccination, travelers having to travel for reasons urgent or humanitarian (supporting documentation), and people who have come, for reasons other than tourism, from countries where the vaccine is difficult to obtain.