4 Things to Consider Before Traveling Abroad During the COVID-19 Pandemic

4 Things to Consider Before Traveling Abroad During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As vaccine distribution continues to roll out in the United States, many Americans are itching for international travel.

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But is it really okay to start traveling abroad yet?.

Here are four important ethical factors to take into consideration before you decide to travel.

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1.

Vaccinated travelers could still transmit COVID-19 to others.

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If someone in the U.S. travels to another country, they may have an asymptomatic infection that they bring with them to the other country, putting people there at risk, William Miller, Ohio State University, to Huffpost.

2.

It’s unclear how effective vaccines are at protecting against COVID-19 variants.

Other countries may have higher rates of virus variants that are more transmissible and, in some cases, may cause more severe disease … The transmission of these variants to and from vaccinated people is a concerning possibility, William Miller, Ohio State University, to Huffpost.

3.

Travelers can strain countries with vulnerable health care systems and less vaccination resources.

While most people in rich countries will probably have access to a vaccine this year, those in poor countries will likely have to wait years to get vaccinated, Nicole Hassoun, Cornell University, to Huffpost.

4.

The more patient you are now, the more manageable and safe travel will be in the future.

As vaccine rollout advances, there will be much less community transmission, less likelihood of infection, and less likelihood of novel variants emerging … This will likely make tourism more manageable for host countries and greatly decrease the risk you may pose to others, Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, Baylor’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, to Huffpost