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Infectious disease experts weigh in on how to plan a safe family vacation this summer

凯瑟琳·特罗西(Catherine Troisi), PhD, poses for a photo with her grandchildren taken during their last family vacation in 2019 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Troisi is looking forward to visiting again this summer. (Photo courtesy of Catherine Troisi, PhD).
凯瑟琳·特罗西(Catherine Troisi), PhD, poses for a photo with her grandchildren taken during their last family vacation in 2019 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Troisi is looking forward to visiting again this summer. (Photo courtesy of Catherine Troisi, PhD).

18个月后避免人们low the spread of COVID-19 and carrying the accompanying stress resulting from a global pandemic, a vacation sounds like an excellent way to wind down.

但是,对于没有资格接种疫苗的孩子的父母来说,跳上汽车或在飞机上飞行并不容易。休斯敦德克萨斯大学健康科学中心的传染病专家(Uthealth) share some tips to help families plan a safe vacation for the whole household.

如果您已经接种疫苗,美国疾病控制中心and Prevention says you can resume the activities you were doing before pandemic, such as attending gatherings with people outside of your home, no longer wearing a mask indoors, and dining inside at restaurants. You are considered fully vaccinated when it’s been at least two weeks since you’ve received your second dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or two weeks after the Johnson & Johnson single dose COVID-19 shot. In the U.S., masks are still required byfederal lawin airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on over-the-road buses, and on commuter bus and rail systems through Sept. 13.

选择目的地

For starters, experts recommend researching the rate of社区传播in the location of your destination. What are the current COVID-19 case counts? Does the location have a high rate of strains that are more transmissible and therefore riskier for any unvaccinated family members or any household members with underlying conditions that could lead to serious illness? Also, be sure to evaluate how crowded the destination may be and what level of physical distance you can maintain to protect any at-risk family members.

How to get there

“就COVID-19传输而言,驾驶最安全,但是如果您打算飞行,请在飞机不太可能饱满的一周日预订旅行。”凯瑟琳·特罗西(Catherine Troisi), PhD, an infectious disease epidemiologist and associate professor atUthealth School of Public Health in Houston. “Choose a window seat as opposed to an aisle seat, and try to sit near the back of the plane. Also, try to avoid eating and drinking on the plane and limit bathroom trips as much as possible. Once the plane lands, wait until everyone else has exited.” Be sure to maintain physical distancing at the airport, too, she said.

计划更安全

“If you have unvaccinated family members, aim for lower-risk activities and limit exposure to large crowds. If you do venture out to a crowded, enclosed environment, everyone, regardless of vaccine status, should wear a mask,” said苏珊·伍顿(Susan Wootton), MD, an associate professor of pediatrics withUthealth的McGovern医学院.

“The vaccine doesn’t prevent transmission 100% and your unvaccinated loved ones are still at risk of asymptomatic transmission from a vaccinated individual, as shown by the recent New York Yankees COVID-19 outbreak,” said Wootton, who is also a pediatric infectious diseases specialist with但医生.

如果您要住在一个厨房的地方,请尝试在那里做很多饭,而不是外出就餐。远足或去海滩等户外活动比室内活动更安全。不要忘记打包大量的消毒剂和抗菌湿巾,以保持双手和表面清洁。

Enjoy yourself

Troisi said that her family has two upcoming trips planned: renting a beach house with their children and grandchildren, and a cruise to Iceland with her husband and some friends. “For our beach vacation, we are renting a house and plan to eat there for every meal. For our cruise, Iceland requires travelers be vaccinated to enter,” she said. “The bottom line is our mental health is equally as important, and that includes taking time to travel to visit your loved ones in other locations. Is it risk-free? No, but it’s important to balance the risk and benefits, as well as reduce the risk as much as possible for safe vacation.”

Wootton, who is also planning a family trip this summer with her child who is not yet old enough to receive a vaccine, said her family will continue to mask up.

“We still need to advocate for our kids, and that means making decisions to protect the most vulnerable,” she said.

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