NEWS: CHANGES Made to CDC COVID-19 Travel Advisory System

To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things over the past few years, and more changes are now being made.

Time to Go

We’ve shared updates on the Omicron variant, COVID-19 vaccination rules for Disney Cruise Line, and more. But now some COVID-19 travel-related information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed.

Previously, the CDC maintained a country-by-country list of travel advisories related to COVID-19. But, according to CNN, that list won’t be maintained by the CDC anymore.

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In a statement made to CNN travel, a CDC spokesperson said, “As fewer countries are testing or reporting Covid-19 cases, CDC’s ability to accurately assess the Covid-19 THN [Travel Health Notice] levels for most destinations that American travelers visit is limited.”

You’ll Have to Make Travel Decisions on Your Own

As of October 3rd, notices will only be posted for countries when there is a concerning COVID-19 variant or another situation that would change the travel recommendations from the CDC.

The CDC recommends that, regardless of where you’ll be traveling to, international travelers stay “up to date” on their COVID-19 vaccines, and look at (and follow) any CDC guidance for international travel.

Flying away

The CDC defines someone as “up to date” on their vaccines when they’ve completed their COVID-19 vaccine primary series AND received the most recent booster dose that is recommended for them by the CDC.

You can visit the CDC website to get more information and take a quiz to find out when you can get a booster.

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CNN points out that prior to this change, the CNN Medical Analyst, Dr. Leana Wen, told CNN Travel that we’re in a period of the COVID-19 pandemic where “people need to make their own decisions based on their medical circumstances as well as their risk tolerance when it comes to contracting COVID-19.”

Wen noted that vaccination is the most significant safety factor for travel.

COVID-19 Vaccine Sign

If you’ll be traveling soon, keep in mind that you can also check the Travel Advisories on the U.S. Department of State website to see what recommendations are in place.

You can click here to learn about the 10 most popular travel destinations for 2023, or click here to read about 6 hacks that’ll help you avoid paying full price on your future travels. We’ll continue to look for more travel updates and let you know what we find.