How to Make Travel and Activities Safer for Unvaccinated Children

As more adults have become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, families are beginning to start looking forward to traveling and public activities again. But though most adults can now safely get the vaccine, none of the current approved vaccines are available to individuals under the age of 16.

This is expected to change soon—as of May 7, the FDA is reported to be on the verge of authorizing the Pfizer vaccine for use in children ages 12 to 15.  However, children younger than this may not be able to receive a vaccine for some time.

This begs the question, what activities or types of travel are safe for families if the adults are vaccinated, but the children in the family are not? Can you as vaccinated adults safely go out and travel without worrying about bringing home the virus to your unvaccinated children? Should you allow visitors in your home? Here are some things to keep in mind when your children still aren’t vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Can We Visit Extended Family?

For many people around the world, it has been well over a year since they have been able to safely visit extended family who don’t live nearby. People are looking forward to visiting with these relatives now that more and more people are vaccinated, and restrictions have begun to lift. But is this safe if you have unvaccinated children that you’ll be taking with you or seeing at your family gatherings?

Most experts say that as long as you and other adults in your group are vaccinated, you should be relatively safe. But keep in mind, if you are at an indoor gathering with multiple unvaccinated children in attendance, it is best to wear a mask and continue to wash your hands (and the children’s hands) frequently. In general, outdoor activities are safer than indoor gatherings, so keep that in mind when planning your family events.

Travel Safety

Fully vaccinated people can now travel in relative safety, but if you are bringing unvaccinated children along, consider some additional safety precautions. If possible, try to travel by car to avoid the extra risk you will incur if traveling by airplane. In a plane, you’ll not only be confined to an enclosed place for an extended period of time; you will also be exposed to significantly more people, who may or may not be vaccinated like you. Car travel limits that exposure.

As far as international travel goes, most health experts would advise against traveling to international destinations at the moment. There are several coronavirus variants of concern in different countries around the world, many of which may be more resistant to vaccines and more contagious. For now, it’s best to keep all travel destinations domestic, to avoid unnecessary risk to your family.