Do children need to receive the COVID-19 vaccine prior to traveling?

Over 50% of the U.S. population aged 18 and older is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Many of those vaccinated—or those set to receive the vaccine soon—are starting to make their travel plans for this summer and beyond.

A significant group that remains unvaccinated is children under 12, along with tweens and teens who have only recently begun to receive vaccines. On May 10, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 in the U.S. (Moderna announced on May 25 that its vaccine was effective for ages 12 to 17, but it has not yet received approval for use). Currently, around 2% of individuals under 18 are fully vaccinated, based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If you're traveling domestically with young children or even older ones, there are no COVID-19 testing requirements. However, traveling abroad with kids has changed significantly since the pandemic began. Adults traveling with children may face different requirements due to the pandemic, so what does this mean for your family's travel plans?

Here’s what you need to know about traveling when part of your family remains unvaccinated.

Can kids receive a COVID-19 vaccine?

Granting vaccination approval for children is a vital move in combating the pandemic and may encourage more families to plan their travels. Many parents have been waiting for news on kids' vaccinations before arranging family trips.

Currently, there are age restrictions on all three vaccines authorized for emergency use by the FDA. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only one approved for children aged 12 to 17. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available exclusively for adults aged 18 and older.

According to The New York Times, younger children may become eligible this fall, as Pfizer plans to seek emergency authorization for kids aged 2 to 11. Additionally, results from Moderna's clinical trials involving children as young as 6 months are anticipated by year-end. For now, children under 12 are not eligible for any COVID-19 vaccine.

"The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for everyone aged 12 and older to help protect against COVID-19," the CDC stated on its website. "Children aged 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine."

Can children travel internationally if they are unvaccinated?

Many countries have now reopened to U.S. tourists, with some only allowing entry—or waiving testing and quarantine requirements—for fully vaccinated travelers.

Currently, travelers from the U.S., EU, and Schengen area can enter Greece as long as they are vaccinated or can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test (this applies to unvaccinated children as well).

Italy is once again welcoming travelers with similar entry requirements, as is Croatia. As summer progresses and more European nations open their borders, expect to see various vaccination and negative COVID-19 test prerequisites. In short: it will be easier and faster to travel with vaccinated teens and tweens, but younger children can still travel with you as long as they provide a negative COVID-19 test.

In some instances, showing proof of vaccination may be essential for entry. Iceland, for example, has stated that it will accept fully vaccinated travelers, who will not need to quarantine upon arrival.

We can also examine the cruise industry for insights on how destinations and travel providers may cater to families traveling with unvaccinated children.

Two sister cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, require adult passengers to be fully vaccinated to sail once operations resume. However, both lines allow children under 18 to board with proof of a negative COVID-19 test instead of vaccination proof. It's important to note that these requirements are changing rapidly and vary by embarkation port. For example, on Royal Caribbean sailings to Alaska, anyone aged 16 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while those aged 12 and older must be vaccinated as of Aug. 1.

However, Royal Caribbean has also eased its vaccination policy for sailings departing from Florida and Texas. Unvaccinated passengers may now sail on those itineraries. The cruise line advises that "Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated if they are eligible. Those who are unvaccinated or cannot confirm vaccination will need to undergo testing and adhere to other protocols, which will be announced later."

Currently, there are no vaccination requirements for returning to the United States. U.S. airlines are against travel vaccine mandates but have requested the Biden administration to exempt vaccinated travelers from international testing rules.

However, travelers arriving in the United States from abroad must still present a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding, even if they are fully vaccinated. All passengers aged 2 years and older traveling to the U.S. need to provide proof of a negative test taken no more than three days prior to their return flight.

In summary

It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that travelers, including children, may need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter certain countries or travel with specific providers.

This situation has been seen previously with other required vaccinations worldwide. For instance, the yellow fever vaccine is recommended or mandatory for entry into nations like Liberia and Uganda, while the meningococcal vaccine is a requirement for those traveling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

While there are still many uncertainties regarding travel with unvaccinated children, the cruise industry's strategy of requiring negative virus tests for children instead of vaccination suggests a likely trend, especially evident with the reopening of Greece and Italy.

The travel industry is unlikely to alienate a significant number of travelers—and their parents—by restricting access for unvaccinated children. Thus, it seems probable that unvaccinated kids will need to demonstrate their health status through means such as testing negative for COVID-19.