Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said that he would like to see mandatory vaccine mandates for domestic air travel in order to protect travelers from infectious diseases.
Domestic Air Travel Vaccine Mandates Are Wanted By Anthony Fauci
on October 13, 2021 by Gary Leff
Anthony Fauci supports domestic air travel vaccination requirements, but says they won’t happen “soon.”
[CNN’s] Dana Bash questioned whether he wanted an air travel vaccination requirement in place for the holidays. He said that such a choice would be made with “feedback from a variety of government components.”
“The subject of vaccination mandates is on the table,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s senior medical advisor. “It’s always debatable, and we usually end up debating it, but I don’t see it happening right now.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) proposed legislation late last month that would make immunization, a negative coronavirus test, or evidence of recent recovery from the virus required for domestic travel. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced legislation earlier this month that would require evidence of immunization or a negative test for domestic aviation or Amtrak passengers.
Airlines have various vaccination policies depending on whether you’re traveling internationally or domestically, and this isn’t because the virus spreads differently when it crosses borders.
- Airlines demanded vaccination requirements for travel to the United States as part of a package that allowed individuals who had visited Europe, China, Brazil, South Africa, and many other countries in the previous 14 days to fly to the United States at all.
- Domestic vaccination requirements for travel are unwelcomed by airlines since it implies fewer individuals will be able to travel.
While U.S. airlines require immunization for workers (often at the request of the federal government, save for United), this offers nothing to safeguard passengers. The pilot in the small cabin at the front of the aircraft is required to be vaccinated, but the passenger in the middle seat next to you is not.
I’d pick an airline that mandated immunization and had no basic economy limitations (so that other passengers might simply alter their travel arrangements if they were ill). United wants to provide a “vaccine-only sitting area,” but the government won’t let them.
A vaccine need to exercise the freedom to travel, like many other newly announced government regulations, seems to be increasingly dubious. The federal government has much greater control over border regulations.
However, with the federal mask requirement for air travel in effect until January 18, 2022, vaccination as a necessity instead of masking may be intriguing.
Even though aircraft saw less spread than other indoor congregant settings, the federal government mandated masks for air travel since it was one of the few locations where it (at least allegedly) had the power. Of course, like with new border vaccination regulations, if less efficient Chinese vaccinations, which haven’t been proven to decrease transmission, are allowed, it’ll all be for show.
Both the mask and vaccination policies have been riddled with inconsistencies. Many government vaccine advisers who have advised against booster doses for the general public say that vaccinations are still effective against serious illness and that we shouldn’t be vaccinating to prevent the spread of disease. These same public health experts suggest that vaccinated people should wear masks to minimize illness transmission rather than only treat the symptoms.