COVID-19 vaccination is a major requirement for any traveler hoping to get into the United States now that the 20-month travel ban has been lifted. However, not all COVID-19 vaccines have been approved by the U.S. government.
This means that those inoculated with vaccines that are not on the approved list may not be allowed to enter the United States for now.
Among the available COVID jabs, only eight have made it to the list of the U.S. of approved vaccines for travelers entering the country. These include Pfizer-BionTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca.
Vaccines like Russia's Sputnik V and Cuba's Abdala have not received approval from the U.S.
COVID-19 Vaccines: Which are Approved or Not?
Travelers hoping to get into the U.S. after the 20-month entry ban was lifted on Monday are required to show proof that they have received their full dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. There is, however, a catch.
According to a report by A.P. News, "non-immigrant adults need to have received vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration or which received an emergency use listing from the World Health Organization."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have listed eight COVID-19 vaccines as part of the approved list for non-US citizen travelers hoping to enter the country.
These include the COVID-19 vaccines with approval or authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These vaccines are Janssen, otherwise known as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna.
Included in the list as well are vaccines that received an emergency use listing from the World Health Organization (WHO) but have yet to be approved or authorized by the FDA. These COVID-19 vaccines are:
- AstraZeneca
- Covaxin
- Covishield
- BIBP/Sinopharm
- Sinovac
According to a report by BGR, absent from the list of approved COVID-19 vaccines are Russia's Sputnik V, China's CanSino, and Cuba's Abdala, Soberana 02, and Soberana Plus vaccines.
As more and more tests are conducted on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, the list of approved vaccines is not final and will still go through changes in the future.
U.S. Lifts 20-Month Entry Ban
Travelers around the world rejoiced on Monday when the U.S. finally lifted its 20-month entry ban. Then-President Donald Trump imposed the entry ban to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Non-US citizen travelers must be fully vaccinated with the approved vaccines and must show proof of vaccination. Those seeking to enter the country must also present a negative COVID-19 result days before departure.
According to the report by BGR, travelers from Mexico and Canada only need to show proof of vaccination.
Travelers will no longer be required to quarantine upon their arrival in the country.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isabella James
