Fully Vaccinated Americans Can Travel to Europe: E.U. Official
Fully vaccinated Americans now have the liberty to put back Europe to the list of countries they want to visit, as announced by a high European Union official. The announcement comes after a year of non-essential travel between the Europe and United States due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Hill.
The travel update was announced by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in an interview with the New York Times in Brussels on Sunday.
Fully Vaccinated Americans in Europe
But to fully walk the streets of Europe, a criteria must be met. Fully vaccinated Americans should have been administered with vaccines that are also authorized by European Medicines Agency (E.M.A).
Currently, the United States is administering Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson in their COVID-19 vaccine rollout efforts. Meanwhile, these three vaccine brands are also approved by E.M.A.
"The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines," said von der Leyen. The E.U. official also emphasized that because of that, "free movement" and traveling to the European Union may now be possible, USA Today reported.
Furthermore, von der Leyen pointing out that, all 27 member states will be open and accept individuals who have been inoculated by E.M.A. authorized vaccines.
Although fully vaccinated Americans may put Europe on their next travel list, details about the exact time and date when the tourist travel may restart in the region were not furthered by the European Commission. However, von der Leyen highlighted that reopening of travel depends on the "epidemiological situation."
Factors That Allowed Americans in EU
The European Union has a basis in allowing fully vaccinated Americans into their land. First is the successful vaccine rollout in the United States, Forbes reported. Von der Leyen noted that the U.S. was "on track" while making a large amount of progress in reaching herd immunity by the middle of June.
The E.U.'s second reason for allowing Americans is the agreement between the 27 Countries under the European Union to require the vaccination certificates.
Despite the E.U.'s plan on easing their travel restrictions for fully vaccinated Americans, it can be remembered that U.S.' State Department boosted their "Do Not Travel" guidance to around 80 percent of countries from around the world. This is because more and more countries continue to rise in Level 4. Brazil, Kenya, Russia, Tanzania, Argentina, and Chad are among the countries who are in the Level 4.
Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are also still not recommending travel although they have said that fully vaccinated Americans can resume travel at low risk to themselves.
Meanwhile, Forbes noted that President Biden is eyeing the month of May in lifting bans on E.U. travels. USA Today, on the other hand, noted that the European Commission is collaborating with U.S. Homeland Security on a system for the recognition of Americans' vaccination certificates called vaccine passports.
READ MORE: U.S. Experts Questions EU's Decision to Halt AstraZeneca Vaccine Rollout
WATCH: Travel opportunities open up for fully-vaccinated Americans: CDC - from CNBC Television
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