Booster shots for travel in 2022? More countries are setting expiration dates for fully vaccinated status

pplanning an international trip for 2022? You may need a Covid-19 booster shot before you go. A growing number of countries now say full vaccination has an expiration date.

This trend started last summer, when the delta strain of the coronavirus emerged around the world and studies showed that vaccine protection diminishes over time.

In July, Croatia became the first country to establish a maximum validity period for Covid-19 vaccine certificates. Initially, the Balkan state required that travelers be fully vaccinated at least nine months before arrival. That window has since been extended to a year before arrival.

American travelers and others from outside the European Union must show a certificate that they have received two doses of vaccine not older than 365 days in the EU member states (Pfizer, Moderna, AstaZeneca, Gamaleya, Sinopharm) or a certificate that they have received one dose of the vaccine if the vaccine has been administered in a single dose (Janssen/Johnson&Johnson) not older than 365 days, according to the website of the Croatian government.

MORE FROM FORBESSome vaccinated travelers are already getting Covid-19 booster shots, but experts say it could be counterproductiveThrough Suzanne Rowan Kelleher

In August, Austria announced that its vaccination certificate is also only valid for nine months after full vaccination. Again, this was later extended to about a year. The vaccine certificate is valid for 360 days after the 2nd dose for 2-dose vaccines, explains the Austrian Tourism website. In people with a previous infection + one vaccination, it is valid for 360 days after that one dose. If you have had a third/additional/booster vaccination, it is valid for 360 days from the third shot.

The Austrian authorities consider that vaccines requiring only one dose are valid from the 22nd day after that dose and for 270 days from the date of vaccination. Travelers who have recovered from Covid-19 can enter Austria up to 180 days since the infection, provided they provide the results of a negative antibody test taken 90 days before arrival.

Last month, Switzerland opens up to fully vaccinated Americans tourists. But Swiss health authorities believe that a person is fully vaccinated only for a period of 12 months from the date of full vaccination.

As Asia begins to open up to tourism, Vietnam is one of many destinations that are taking a slow and cautious approach. The country starts next month a pilot program that gives a limited number of fully vaccinated foreign tourists quarantine-free access to Phu Quoc, an island in the southern province of Kien Giang known for its idyllic white sand beaches. One stipulation: Travelers must have received their second shot of vaccination at least 14 days before and no more than 12 months before arrival.

Earlier this month, Israel tightened restrictions for the country’s Covid Green Pass, which is required to enter indoor locations. Passes for people who have received two doses of vaccine or have recovered from Covid-19 are now only valid for six months from the date of their completed vaccination or recovery.

Meanwhile, a different trend has emerged in recent months. Since January, all travelers must test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of entering the US. As a result, there have been cases of both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers testing positive in the last three days of their trip. Consequently, even before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved booster shots, many fully vaccinated U.S. travelers were preemptively given a third shot of the vaccine a few weeks before setting out on an international trip to give themselves extra insurance against getting sick. a breakthrough case.

But health experts warn there is a potential downside to getting a booster too early. As with any other series of three injection vaccines, the intervals between injections are measured to give people robust immunity over a longer period of time. So instead of taking a third shot based on a planned trip, it makes more sense to stick to the optimal timing for a booster shot and then plan future trips accordingly.