Fully Vaccinated? Find Out How You Can Safely Travel Domestic and Abroad

Things to Do When Travelling After Being Fully Vaccinated

Once you are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, the impact of the virus on your body may decrease to a certain extent. Therefore, no matter whether you travel domestic or international, you must take ample precautions before, during and after your trip. Here are some essential tips that you can follow to have a safe journey apart from getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Take a look:

Plan Ahead

Irrespective of where you are going, it is important to plan your trip ahead. Since domestic states and foreign countries have imposed different COVID-19 related guidelines, make sure you are fully aware of them before you embark on your journey. Here is what all you need to do before you travel:

• Check the current situation of COVID-19 at the destination you are planning to visit.
• Go through and follow all local, state, international travel restrictions imposed by the respective authorities.
• For all the latest travel information, check the local health department's website of your destination.
• Depending upon the mode of transport, check if any guidelines are required to be followed. For example, if you are travelling by air, check the COVID-19 guidelines of the respective airline.
• There may be instances during your trip when restrictions and policies may change. Thus, be prepared to abide by those restrictions as well as alter your trip plans if required.

Apart from the above-mentioned tips, make sure to check your hotel's COVID-19 related guidelines and plan your itinerary accordingly.

Get Travel Insurance

There may be certain unforeseen instances that can burden you financially while you are travelling during the pandemic. For example, your flight may get delayed or there may be any medical emergency while travelling. You cannot avoid these situations but you can certainly protect yourself financially when such a situation arises. For this, make sure to buy travel insurance a few days before your trip commences. International travel insurance can protect you against financial losses arising due to flight cancellations, accidental injuries, luggage loss, flight delays or medical emergencies while travelling abroad.

You can also cover COVID-19 related emergencies in your travel insurance policy. Thus, by insuring your domestic or international trip fully, you can save yourself from monetary losses that may arise due to unforeseen circumstances faced during the journey.

Pack Essential Items

It is also important to pack all your essentials before starting your journey. Grab any medications that you may need on your trip along with essential travel supplies like face masks, tissue paper, alcohol-based hand sanitiszer, thermometer, and disinfectant for surfaces.

Also, keep a list of emergency contacts such as embassy contact details, local emergency number, number of the nearest police station, number of your medical professional so that you can easily call them if you face an emergency.

Carry Vaccination Proofs

If you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, make sure to carry your vaccination proof while travelling. A vaccination proof can be a mandatory requirement in the domestic state or foreign country you are planning to visit. Along with your vaccination proof, make sure to carry other important documents that your foreign destination may require you to show on arrival like your passport, international travel insurance papers, etc.

Also, read all the COVID-19 related guidelines of that particular state/country along with the guidelines set by airport authorities.

Mask It Up

Masks are essential when it comes to protecting yourself against this airborne virus. Even if you are fully vaccinated, it is important to wear a mask whenever you step out of your hotel room. Moreover, if you are in a public area, you may be around people who may not be fully vaccinated. As a result, the chances of contracting the virus increase.

Thus, masking can be an essential way to protect yourself in such areas. Wear a mask over your nose and mouth on buses, trains, planes and whenever you are travelling so that you can protect yourself and others around you. Also, cover your trip with international travel insurance so that you are financially able to pay for medical expenses in case you get infected with COVID-19 abroad.

Maintain Social Distancing

Apart from masking, you must also practise social distancing indoors and outdoors. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), you should maintain a distance of 6 feet from others around you. The COVID-19 disease usually spreads from an infected person when he/she breathes or coughs. To reduce its impact, it is advisable to keep at least 6 feet distance from people when travelling in public places. Be extra cautious about social distancing if you have low immunity or are already suffering from a medical condition.

Testing is a Must

If you are travelling with people who are not fully vaccinated, you may want to consider getting COVID-19 tested during your trip. Even if you are travelling with fully vaccinated people, testing should be a priority as even after vaccination, you are not totally immune to the virus. You can use self-testing kits to take the COVID-19 test one to three days before you travel and even in between your trip. In case you are tested positive for COVID-19 during your foreign trip, your international travel insurance provider can take care of your medical expenses.

Moreover, many Indian states and foreign countries have made it compulsory for people travelling by air to carry a negative RT-PCR test report with them. Even if you are fully vaccinated, you may be required to produce a negative report before starting your travel. Thus, make sure to get the RT-PCR test done 72 hours before you board your flight.

Always Sanitize

Do not forget to disinfect your luggage and other essential items while travelling. Sanitization of items, surfaces, and your hands is important as it can kill any germs or viruses present on a surface. Sanitize your luggage, aeroplane, train or bus seat, seat belt and other essential items with a sanitizer or surface disinfectant that has at least 60% alcohol content. Also, make sure to regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Vaccination Doesn’t Mean You Are Fully Immune

No doubt fully vaccinated people are more protected than unvaccinated people. However, they are not fully immune to the COVID-19 disease. Even if you have taken both doses of the vaccine, you can get reinfected with coronavirus if you come in close contact with an infected person. Therefore, make sure to follow the above-mentioned tips while travelling and make your journey safe. Also, do not forget to purchase international/ domestic travel insurance before embarking on your journey.