Poll: Would you get vaccinated in 2021 for travel?

[explanade]

According to the NY Times, CDC has notified all the states to be ready to start vaccinations by early November.

May not be the general population but rather high-priority groups like health care workers and vulnerable elderly people at first.

Assuming the Phase 3 trials go well, vaccination of the wider population is expected some time in the first half or quarter of 2021.

That could lead to some countries which have stringent travel restrictions, such as Oceania, Asia or Europe to require immunity passports during 2021 while vaccinations are being rolled out.

Currently many countries outright ban Americans entry for non-essential purposes, which includes leisure travel. Even those that are allowing foreign tourists are imposing such things as proof of recent negative tests or tests upon arrival or quarantines upon arrival.

If most international travel destinations required vaccinations (and documentation of such) in order to be allowed to visit, would you consider getting one of the first vaccines?

These vaccines are being developed at a record pace, months instead of years. On top of that, some of the first vaccines use technology which is new, such as messenger RNA, doesn't have a long history of proven safety.

 

[Car-Guy]

Not necessarily for travel, but I'd volunteer for phase 3 trials in the base case so yes, I'll take it when it's been approved by the CDC.

 

[explanade]

I voted yes. But I may have some pent-up desire to travel.

 

[audreyh1]

I’d get it even if not traveling, as long as a bunch of other people get it first. Which is how it will happen anyway.

 

[Aerides]

I'd get it not just for the travel, but for overall back-to-normal. I'd also hope it's safe and ready for my parents and extended family, so that we can all interact with one another like before-times.

 

[explanade]

One consideration is that some people like to book at least months ahead for things like flights, car rentals, hotels.

So planning and reserving requires some kind of certainty.

This past summer, a lot of countries would set policies and change them that some travelers found the plans they made months ago were no longer viable.

Spring or summer may give you more certainty but it does take several weeks for the immune response to build up and remember that most of these vaccines require 2 shots, like 2-4 weeks apart.

But around say May, we may have more concrete reports and data about vaccine safety and effectiveness but by then, it may be more difficult to make travel plans only a couple of months out.

The EU may also wait until June or July to announce their policies too. Then change them from week to week. At least that's what happened this year.

 

[SecondCor521]

I'll get the vaccine and encourage my kids to get it as well once the phase 3 trials are done and the vaccines are approved by the FDA for use in the general population, whether I or they (my kids, not the FDA) are traveling or not.

I read about how the mRNA vaccines work, and from what I read they seem logically safer than a traditional killed/weakened virus vaccine. Maybe I'm missing something, but at this point I would have zero problems being vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine. (I believe the Moderna vaccine is an mRNA vaccine and is chronologically first in terms of phase 3 trials. I don't know about the other vaccines in phase 3 trials.)

 

[Toocold]

Well the CDC just announced to the state to prepare for vaccine distribution Nov 1. Guess we'll see how safe it is.

 

[rk911]

we don't travel internationally but 'no' to a vaccine until proven safe AND effective.

 

[nap470]

Yes for me. I will be age 60 in December, so I know a vaccine shot will not be offered to folks like me until well into 2021...maybe longer.

 

[Nemo2]

I voted yes. But I may have some pent-up desire to travel.

No 'may' about it for DW & me.

 

[SecondCor521]

Well the CDC just announced to the state to prepare for vaccine distribution Nov 1. Guess we'll see how safe it is.

I think the idea is to have the distribution system set up and in place so that when (if?) a vaccine is approved, the vaccination program can begin without delay.

It is my understanding that they are already manufacturing some of the vaccines while the phase 3 trials are still in progress, again to reduce delay.

I am glad to see things being done in parallel rather than serially with regards to the process of bringing the vaccine to market. But I also expect that the FDA approval will only be granted in accordance with established procedures and safety requirements. It will possibly be one of the most examined decisions in recent history, so I think the FDA wants to get it right.

 

[W2R]

we don't travel internationally but 'no' to a vaccine until proven safe AND effective.

+1 This is a sensible approach, IMO.

I didn't vote in the poll, since none of the choices seemed to fit.

 

[bada bing]

I don't anticipate being allowed in the early adopter club, but I'll take it as soon as available to me.

I'm not concerned much about my own danger from Covid, but I haven't been able to visit parents since March and i am really concerned about their vulnerability. In lieu of an effective vaccine soon, I wouldn't say I would intentionally look to pick up a case of Covid "to get it over with", but the thought has crossed my mind. I get tested for work twice a month by nasal swab, and I am always a little disappointing when the test shows I don't have an asymptomatic case going. It is amazing how far up your nose a swab will go. I never knew.

 

[DrRoy]

I volunteered for a phase 3 trial. Not selected so far.

 

[LRDave]

With no pressing need to travel or do "risky" stuff, I voted "No" for us. This whole process has been rushed and political.

 

[bmcgonig]

If people like Gottlieb, Fauci etc. say it's safe then yes I will.

 

[athena53]

I won't be first in line (and the first doses should go to healthcare workers and others at higher risk) but if it appears safe and effective after those groups have taken it, heck, yes. I'm pretty conservative about vaccines but COVID-19 is a nasty disease.

 

[bmcgonig]

Also there's word about that it might be allowed under Emergency Use Authorization. If that were the case I definitely would not get it.

 

[Midpack]

I’d get it even if not traveling, as long as a bunch of other people get it first. Which is how it will happen anyway.

+1. Exactly. I hear folks saying they are leery of being first, when they won’t have that option anyway. Healthcare workers, vulnerable people, wealthy/celebs/athletes, otherwise connected and maybe even some essential public workers are going to have access before the rest of us - as always.

 

[goingtotravel]

We'll wait. We've pretty much written off 2021 for international travel right now. We've been discussing this at our house for a few months. DH is in the vulnerable population but would not be comfortable getting a vaccine that has not been extensively tested on people with severely compromised immune systems. We will get vaccinated eventually once there has been enough time for any issues to show themselves in the larger population.

 

[jollystomper]

I am curious how people quantitatively define "safe" and "effective". Zero side effects? 100% success rate? That is a standard many medicines and current vaccines do not achieve.

 

[Toocold]

I think the idea is to have the distribution system set up and in place so that when (if?) a vaccine is approved, the vaccination program can begin without delay.

It is my understanding that they are already manufacturing some of the vaccines while the phase 3 trials are still in progress, again to reduce delay.

I am glad to see things being done in parallel rather than serially with regards to the process of bringing the vaccine to market. But I also expect that the FDA approval will only be granted in accordance with established procedures and safety requirements. It will possibly be one of the most examined decisions in recent history, so I think the FDA wants to get it right.

I'm thinking that in Oct, some of the trials will be completed, proving both efficacy and safety. By Nov, there will be some that are approved. The early phases of distribution will likely be essential workers and perhaps most vulnerable. I'm thinking I'll likely get the vaccine in Q1 of 2021, which is inline with what some of the experts are saying.

For those who are going to wait until the vaccine is proven to be safe, they can wait until 6 months out to see if there are any adverse events from the distribution of the population so summer of 2021. My thinking is, if they have the data for population of 30-60k each, that's good enough for me. Plus no matter how safe the vaccine drug is, I'm sure you'll see otherwise on facebook and twitter from those that don't like vaccines.

 

[iloveyoga]

I would get it and not just for traveling purposes. Actually I would get it just to be around more of my extended family than I feel comfortable with now.

 

[sengsational]

I'm wondering how they will know the true effectiveness. They can check antibodies, but that's just a proxy for effectiveness. They'd really need to expose the participants on purpose, and that ain't happening. Or they'd need to let a big group of vaccinated test subjects go about their lives and see if they stayed healthier than the controls. But that would take many months. I'm thinking there will be vaccines that are touted as effective when they're really not as effective as needed.