Fully vaccinated people still not recommended to fly, CDC says

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released new guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated. They can now visit their grandkids or others who have been fully vaccinated without wearing masks or keeping socially distant. While they are allowed to spread their wings a little, that’s not the case for flying.

The CDC still does not recommend that fully vaccinated people fly to go see their loved ones. The CDC is asking people to avoid non-essential travel, saying when they see a surge in travel, there is a surge of cases.

The recommendation is causing some pushback from the airline industry. They say heavily filtered air and mask-wearing make it less likely for the virus to spread on planes.

Some doctors agree with the CDC’s recommendation to not fly, saying you encounter a lot of people who aren’t considered low-risk. But others argue this goes too far.

“So this is one of these examples where I think the CDC is being far overly cautious in a way that defies common sense,” said Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore Health Commissioner. “It just doesn’t make sense that you can’t travel especially if you now can get together with loved ones.”

Just this Sunday, TSA says nearly 1.3 million people passed through airport security checkpoints, which is the highest level since Jan. 3.

The CDC’s guidance is based on the country’s vaccination rate and the uncertainty over whether people who are vaccinated can still spread COVID.

Dr. Shira Doron: Travel caution due to variants spreading by asymptomatic vaccinated travelers

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Cox Media Group