HOW TO TRAVEL SAFELY: WHAT DOCTORS RECOMMEND AFTER VACCINE

In the U.S., upwards of 3 million people a day are leaving vaccine sites with new immunity and new questions about what to do with it.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that if you’re fully vaccinated, have waited through two weeks of immunity buildup, and are otherwise healthy, you’re all clear to travel. But that may feel easier said than done. Travel planning today comes with novel anxieties, some of them easier to answer than others.

The considerations worth taking differ from household to household. Being thorough about how you plan can effectively mitigate risk and exposure — and soothe anxiety and eliminate stress before and during a trip. What good is a vacation, after all, if it doesn’t offer mental respite? Here’s what some experts had to say about safe vacation planning in 2021.

Where can I travel?

The question of where you can travel seems to change day by day, as countries consider and reconsider their border policies. (The travel agency Scott Dunn Ltd. has an updated list of which countries are open to American travelers.)

If you’re traveling purely for leisure, here are three questions to ask:

■ What are the local COVID-19 caseloads?

■ How burdened is the local health-care system?

■ How much risk do I need to incur to entertain myself once there?

If a country has many cases and poor access to vaccines, its hospitals are likely overwhelmed, says Dr. Daniel Caplivski, professor of infectious diseases and director of the travel medicine program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“The idea that vaccines are 95% effective means we likely won’t need to go to the hospital for COVID, but we may slip and fall — simple things that could happen to tourists anywhere,” he says.

Ultimately, the three questions above speak to an overarching one:“are you more likely to get infected traveling than you would at home?”the answer will be specific to where you’re going — as well as where you’re coming from.

Can I vacation in a COVID-19 bubble?

The medical experts say this is a valid strategy, but there are other viable ones, too. Exploring a destination, they say, is considered safe so long as you continue to abide by common-sense measures like social distancing, wearing a mask, and limiting indoor activities.

“The more people you come in contact with, the more likely you are to encounter the virus,” says Johns Hopkins immunologist Dr.

Kawsar Talaat .“But if you’re outside, your risk is much lower across the board.”

Is flying safe?

Picking a “safe” airline used to be easy: As long as Delta was blocking middle seats (which go back on sale this weekend), it was the obvious choice. Now the standouts include Etihad, whose crew is fully vaccinated, and Emirates and Singapore, which follow closely behind. Qantas has made strides by requiring international passengers to show proof of vaccination. But these airlines primarily serve long-haul routes, many to countries whose borders remain closed. U.S. carriers, meanwhile, offer comparable pros and cons, with none of them showing any immediate intention to require vaccine cards for boarding.

That leaves most American travelers relying on the small preventive measures within their control, with the hope that those safety benefits can add up when taken together.

But no system is perfect when you’re within 6 feet of others for an extended period of time, and reducing the duration of these exposures is key if everything else remains constant. Bottom line: If private travel is not an option, just get there as quickly as possible.

Do I still need to get a COVID-19 test when I get back?

If you travel internationally and are returning to the U.S., you’ll need a negative PCR test taken in the three days preceding your homebound flight, regardless of vaccine status.