travel to florida without vaccine

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Small business
• Small business guide
• View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

Ask a Travel Nerd: Can I Travel Without a COVID Vaccine?

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Table of Contents

Domestic travel for unvaccinated travelers

International travel for unvaccinated travelers, final thoughts on traveling without a covid vaccine.

Between constantly changing entry requirements, mandated quarantines, testing rules and vaccine provisions, traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t easy. If you’re not vaccinated, it's even harder. Some countries flat-out don’t admit unvaccinated travelers, while others require a mandatory quarantine and extra tests.

If you plan on traveling and aren't vaccinated, here’s what you need to know.

As recently as Jan. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend delaying travel until you’re fully vaccinated.

Requirements are up to each city and state. For example, while Illinois doesn’t have statewide restrictions, its recommendations differ based on the daily COVID-19 case rates of the state the traveler is arriving from. Unvaccinated travelers arriving from states with higher case rates are encouraged to secure a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of travel to Illinois. At the city level, unvaccinated travelers going to Chicago are asked to get tested for COVID-19 before and after arrival and to quarantine upon arrival.

Meanwhile, all travelers 16 and older who enter California via Los Angeles International Airport, Van Nuys Airport or Los Angeles Union Station are required to fill out a City of Los Angeles Traveler Form, agreeing to follow CDC travel guidance — or face up to a $500 fine.

Other states may be more flexible and have no recommendations or requirements related to vaccination, quarantine, forms or testing for visitors.

Tips for traveling domestically without a vaccine

If the required time frame for getting a COVID-19 test ahead of travel is less than 24 hours, check if an urgent care center near you offers a rapid results option. In addition, check if a PCR and/or antigen test will be accepted. Generally, results from an antigen test can be provided faster. If you have insurance, the test may be covered.

Before heading to your intended destination, check the city and state requirements and recommendations, because they may differ (like Chicago and Illinois). Find out if your destination has any special requirements based on the state you’re arriving from.

Some businesses require proof of vaccination for entry. Be prepared to be turned away from restaurants, bars, stores and other establishments if this is the case.

Check if there are any ongoing testing requirements. For example, unvaccinated travelers staying in Puerto Rico longer than a week must submit weekly COVID-19 test results.

» Learn more: The majority of Americans plan to travel this year, according to recent NerdWallet study

Traveling internationally may present a greater number of obstacles, especially due to different systems and a potential language barrier. Some countries don't allow unvaccinated travelers to enter, period . For example, travel to the majority of European countries is possible only to those who are vaccinated. If you’re not vaccinated, make sure the country you want to visit will allow you entry.

In addition, before returning to the U.S., you’re required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of the flight's departure. While abroad, you’ll need to go to a COVID-19 testing center. Unlike getting tested in the U.S., COVID-19 tests abroad aren't covered by insurance, so you'll need to budget for the out-of-pocket cost .

Furthermore, you should book your accommodations wisely. Does the hotel you want to stay at allow unvaccinated guests? Will you be able to dine at the hotel restaurant? Can you use the spa or gym facilities? These are important questions you’ll need to consider before booking an international hotel stay.

Scrutinize your access to activities and other places you’d like to visit during your trip, too, like restaurants and museums. On my recent trip to Germany, I had to show my proof of vaccination and identification in every bar, restaurant, shop and hotel I entered.

If you’re unvaccinated, you may be refused entry to all these places, which can ruin your trip.

Tips for traveling internationally without a vaccine

Get travel insurance with Cancel For Any Reason coverage since entry requirements are changing constantly. What happens if you book a nonrefundable flight and hotel, and a week before your departure, your destination stops allowing in unvaccinated travelers? If you have travel insurance with CFAR, you’ll be able to cancel your trip and get your nonrefundable deposits back so long as changes aren’t made at the last minute. For example, with CFAR coverage from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, "you may only be eligible if you purchase CFAR at the time of your base policy purchase, insure your full trip cost, and cancel more than 48 hours prior to departure," according to the company's website.

Confirm entry eligibility for your must-have experiences, like restaurants, museums, shopping malls or bars and clubs. Double-check that your hotel will allow you entry as well.

Research COVID-19 testing sites in the area before departure. Will you need to travel far to get your test? Consider travel time when making a test appointment.

Check if there's an app that your destination country uses that will accept your pre-departure negative COVID-19 test result. This step could make it easier to visit any bars, hotels, shops, restaurants and museums you’d like to check out.

Traveling domestically and internationally may pose a new set of challenges for those who are unvaccinated. Be sure to keep up to date with the latest requirements to make sure that your trip goes smoothly. International travel may result in many more difficulties, so if you’re not prepared to deal with all the uncertainties of being abroad, consider travel to a location within the U.S.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee:   Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards:  Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card  

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Select an option

Netflix’s ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ Bites Into Orlando

Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld® Orlando

Virtual Tours

Look at this cool new tool for exploring Orlando!

U.S. Entry Requirements

Coming to Orlando from another country? See what you’ll need to gain access to the Theme Park Capital of the World.

According to the U.S. Department of State, all international visitors traveling to the United States need a passport.

Visitors from countries under the Visa Waiver Program (including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Japan and Germany, among others) do not need a visa. Visitors from countries outside of the waiver program will need a nonimmigrant visa.

COVID-19   Requirements

Non-citizen, non-immigrant air travelers to the United States are required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the U.S., with only limited exceptions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that for purposes of travel to the U.S., vaccines accepted will include FDA-approved and World Health Organization emergency use-listed vaccines.

Children under 18 are excepted from the vaccination requirement for foreign national travelers.

Air travelers entering the U.S. are not required to produce a negative COVID-19 test prior to admittance.

For more information on obtaining a visa, visit  Travel.State.gov .

Orlando's Only Official Website

• Accessibility
• Copyright & Trademarks
• Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
• Cookie Preferences

Receive Visit Orlando news

and special offers.

© 2024 Visit Orlando

Updated June 13, 2022

Greater Miami & Miami Beach Travel Information

Miami-dade county covid guidelines.

• There is currently no curfew in Miami-Dade County.

Masks/Facial Coverings

There is currently no mask mandate in Miami-Dade County, however we do encourage you to be safe! Face masks and coverings are optional but do practice social distancing when you are exploring our beautiful tropical paradise! Facial masks and coverings are optional for Miami-Dade County public transit, Miami International Airport and PortMiami. Please inquire with other public transportation options such as Brightline, taxis, Uber and Lyft as they may have their own mask rules.

The Greater Miami & Miami Beach Destination Pledge

Greater Miami is taking steps to help stop the spread of the coronavirus and keep visitors and residents healthy. Throughout various tourism touch points in the destination, partners are pledging to adhere to the highest standards for mitigation of communicable diseases to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19. The Greater Miami & Miami Beach Destination Pledge  is implemented at several tourism touch points throughout the community including at Miami International Airport and Port Miami as well as local attractions, museums, hotels, retail and dining establishments.

#FoundinMiami  #TravelResponsibly

Visitors are encouraged to call their hotel directly to learn specific guidelines to follow while on property. Hotels are encouraged to do the following:

• Minimize shared touch surfaces such as kiosks, tablets, pens, credit cards, receipts, and keys.
• Make guest room service, laundry and dry-cleaning services, and amenity deliveries available using contactless pick-up and delivery protocols.
• Remove or limit paper amenities in guest rooms and supplement with digital material or make materials available upon request.
• Valets should be provided with hand sanitizer and should use sanitizer before and after parking vehicles. 

Restaurants

Restaurants are permitted to offer indoor and outdoor dining at up to 100% capacity. Restaurants are encouraged to do the following:

• Offer takeout and delivery services.
• Offer a QR code to view menus digitally and touchless payment options.

Visit MiamiEats for access to delivery and take out menus for hundreds of restaurants across Greater Miami and Miami Beach.

Banquet, Meeting and Convention Spaces

Convention and Meeting Spaces as well as Banquet Facilities are fully open and indoor consumption of food and beverages as well as live performances at these venues is allowed.

Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Convention Center

The Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) has developed and deployed health and safety measures to support safe live events and gatherings.

There are COVID-19 testing and vaccine sites throughout the destination which operate seven days a week with no appointment necessary. For information on testing sites, click here .

Entertainment Venues

Movie theaters, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, bowling alleys, arcades, and indoor amusement facilities are open. Indoor consumption of food and beverages as well as live performances at these venues is allowed, with restrictions.

Malls, Stores and Retail Shops

Retail establishments are encouraged to do the following:

• Make hand sanitizing dispensers or sanitizer available at entrances and in common areas.
• Offer use of home delivery, curbside pickup, or “appointment only shopping” for customers.
• Consider special store hours for seniors and vulnerable guests.

Spa's, Gyms & Wellness Facilities

If you would like to visit a wellness facility, please make sure to call direct and learn of any specific guidelines. Gyms, studios, and fitness centers are encouraged to establish the following:

• Designated staff responsible for sanitizing, cleaning, and supervision during each shift.
• Gyms should provide sanitizing wipes near the lockers or in the locker room.

Travel Information for Visitors to Miami

For the most up-to-date information on travel restrictions, please check with the US Department of State and the CDC Guidance for Travel as guidelines and restrictions continue to evolve.

CDC Travel Requirements

• All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. Citizens, are no longer required to take a Covid-19 test within a day before boarding a flight to the United States. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Cruise Travel

All cruise lines have activated operations, but some sailings continue to be cancelled due to Covid-19. The CDC recommends that cruise ships operating in U.S. choose to participate in the CDC’s COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships .

For your convenience, following are some of Greater Miami's top cruise lines and their updates.

• Royal Caribbean Travel Update
• Carnival Cruise Lines Update
• MSC Cruise Lines Travel Update
• NCL Cruise Lines Travel Update

Public Transportation

Masks are optional on Miami-Dade County public transportation. Please inquire with other public transportation options such as Brightline, taxis, Uber and Lyft as they may have their own mask rules.

General Information Sites

Although international visitors are required to be fully vaccinated, Miami-Dade County will continue to offer free vaccination and testing sites to everyone living in or visiting our County to ensure a safe season.

On-site Covid-19 testing at Miami International Airport is available to passengers, employees and visitors at two convenient locations. There is no age requirement but patients under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Test costs range from $79 to $179. For more information, click here . 

On-site Covid-19 testing is available at no charge at various Miami-Dade County locations. For more information and locations, click here . 

• Covid Testing Sites in Miami-Dade County
• Covid-19 Vaccination Miami-Dade County
• Coronavirus Small Business Issues and Solutions Guide
• U.S. Travel Association
• Visit Florida Current Travel Safety Information
• City of Miami Beach COVID-19 Updates
• Miami-Dade County COVID-Updates
• City of Miami COVID-19 Updates
• Florida Department of Health
• CDC Situation Summary

Hurricane Preparedness and Resources

Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through November 30.

• Find out if you are in a Hurricane Evacuation Zone, and use our 10-step checklist to make sure you are prepared:
• Download the Ready Miami-Dade (Ready MDC) mobile application from the County's Office of Emergency Management, available via Google Play and the App Store store.

Additional Resources:

Miami-Dade County Hurricane Guide

Miami-Dade County Emergency Evacuations

Emergency Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP)

Miami Beach Hurricane Evacuation Pick-Up Points

City of Miami Beach Emergency Preparedness

Stay Connected and Informed:

• ​Register today at www.miamidade.gov/fire/eeap.asp
• Text MBAlert to 888777 to receive emergency alerts via text.
• Visit www.mbalerts.com to sign-up for text/email/phone call alerts to receive emergency notifications and automatic weather alerts.
• Hurricane Evacuation Pick-Up Points

GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

About GMCVB

Accessibility Statement

Employment at GMCVB

Privacy Policy

Thank you for your submission !

STAY IN THE KNOW WITH ALL THINGS GREATER MIAMI & MIAMI BEACH

#FindYourMiami

© 2024 Official website Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved.

Can I safely travel to Florida if I'm vaccinated for COVID-19? Answers to your questions.

Free Press readers have lots of questions about COVID-19. We've asked experts and tracked down sources to help sort through the information swirling about the virus, the vaccines, and more. 

Please continue to ask us questions and we'll continue to seek answers. Submit your questions to us by emailing Free Press health reporter Kristen Jordan Shamus at [email protected] and we'll answer as many as we can. 

Here's this week's Q&A: 

QUESTION: My wife and I are planning a trip to Florida to visit our daughter who has received both doses of the vaccine. Our grandchildren are 6 and 4. Are there any precautions we should take?

ANSWER: If you and your wife are both fully vaccinated — that means it has been at least two weeks after both of you got your final dose — and your daughter is too, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it's OK to get together indoors without masks or social distancing.

It's also OK to see people from one other unvaccinated household (if you consider that household your daughter's house because your unvaccinated grandchildren live there, too) as long as they or others in the house are not at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness. 

The tricky part is going to be getting to Florida. The CDC still hasn't loosened the travel recommendations for vaccinated people, and urges all Americans to stay home to protect themselves and others from the virus.  

Of course, after a year of the pandemic, lots of people are weary of staying home and are eager to visit their loved ones. If you must  travel, the CDC recommends: 

• Get a COVID-19 test one to three days before your trip.
• Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when in public.
• Avoid crowds and stay at least 6 feet from anyone who did not travel with you.
• Get tested 3-5 days after your trip and stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel, even if your test is negative. If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.

You can read the complete recommendations from the CDC for fully vaccinated people here:  https://bit.ly/3crzGKw .

Q: What is the recommendation for how long you should wait after contracting COVID-19 to be vaccinated? Both my wife and I were just notified that slots had become available for our vaccinations but we are just getting over COVID.

A:  The CDC says you should wait to get vaccinated until you are fully recovered from the virus and no longer have symptoms. If you were an asymptomatic carrier of the virus, you should wait at least 14 days after your positive test to get vaccinated. 

If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, the CDC recommends waiting at least 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. 

More: On the pandemic's edge: What happens when COVID-19 becomes manageable?

More: What we know about the impact of Whitmer’s nursing home policies

But if you weren't treated with those therapies or were given other treatments and have questions specific to your cases, the CDC advises talking to your doctor to decide what timing is best for you once you've fully recovered from the virus. 

"While there is no recommended minimum interval between infection and vaccination, current evidence suggests that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection is low in the months after initial infection but may increase with time due to waning immunity," the CDC says in its recommendation .

Q: My wife suffered from the vaccine the day after getting it — a little the first time and a lot the second.  From what I read, that is pretty normal. I felt fine until the fourth day both times and then was under the weather.  Does that happen, or were they just coincidences? I Googled extensively and no one says much about delayed reactions.

A: Feeling some side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine is normal. It's your body building an immune response. Some people report redness, pain and swelling on the arm where they got the shot. They also have reported fever, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, and chills. 

Side effects are more commonly reported after the second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and most are mild and short-term.

More: Vaccine-mobile brings COVID-19 shots to Dearborn mosque, helping to convince the hesitant

More: Oakland County Tribute Walk honors loved ones lost, front-liners in COVID-19 battle

In clinical trials, side effects were reported at any point within seven days of getting vaccinated. While some people reported having a reaction within a day or two of getting an injection, others, like you, reported the onset of symptoms up until day seven with the Moderna ,  Pfizer , and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, according to the CDC. 

Research is ongoing into reactions to the vaccines — delayed or immediate. The New England Journal of Medicine earlier this month reported that there have been rare delayed injection-site reactions following the Moderna shots.

In that study, delayed reactions on or after the eighth day post-injection occurred in 244 of the 30,420 people who were studied (0.8%) after the first dose. And even less frequently — just 0.2% of the time — following the second dose.

The delayed injection-site reactions typically resolved within four of five days after they appeared, according to the study. 

Q: As a 30-year teacher who has experienced the terrible COVID virus and have seen the consequences, how can anyone want the schools open? I hate home schooling and I am not crazy about Zoom.  However, DEATH is so permanent!

A: While school-age children can and do contract coronavirus, there's a growing body of evidence that suggests they are not big spreaders of infection. 

A study published in January in the Journal of the American Medical Association  examined the evidence and made the case for the return to in-person learning as long as schools commit to mask wearing, social distancing, and enforcing hand hygiene. It concluded: "There has been little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission."

More: Michigan schools scramble to offer more in-person learning to qualify for COVID-19 relief

More: Detroit schools reopen to in-person learning for first time since November

It cited a study of 397 children in Mississippi  that showed attending gatherings and social functions outside the home and having had visitors in the home was associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 infection. In-person school attendance was not. 

Another study of 90,000 students and staff from 11 school districts that followed mitigation policies such as mask wearing, physical distancing and hand hygiene in North Carolina showed that the virus was rarely transmitted within schools, and there were no cases reported of student-to-staff transmission. 

In 17 schools in rural Wisconsin that reported consistent use of masks, COVID-19 incidence was lower in the schools than in the community.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the School Superintendents Association agree on the advantages of in-person learning, and issued the following joint statement :

“We recognize that children learn best when physically present in the classroom. But children get much more than academics at school. They also learn social and emotional skills at school, get healthy meals and exercise, mental health support and other services that cannot be easily replicated online. Schools also play a critical role in addressing racial and social inequity. Our nation’s response to COVID-19 has laid bare inequities and consequences for children that must be addressed. This pandemic is especially hard on families who rely on school lunches, have children with disabilities, or lack access to Internet or health care.

“Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue reopening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers and staff. Science should drive decision-making on safely reopening schools. Public health agencies must make recommendations based on evidence, not politics. We should leave it to health experts to tell us when the time is best to open up school buildings, and listen to educators and administrators to shape how we do it."

That's why schools shut down in March, when case rates were high and little was known about the virus and its spread, but were able to reopen in the state in September, when community spread was low and more was understood about transmission.

As case rates ramped up again in November, public health officials moved high schools and colleges to remote learning. That's because researchers had learned that the risk of COVID-19 transmission is higher among teens and young adults than it is younger children. Once the level of community spread began to drop again, schools were allowed to reopen. 

The state health department prioritized vaccinating K-12 teachers and school staff to ensure that the risk to educators is minimized as schools reopen.

The CDC's recommendations for returning to in-person learning are available here:  https://bit.ly/3lavClz .

Q: I am 80 years old and have done nothing to avoid taking on the virus. I meet with family members all the time, we go to parties, festivities, events, gatherings, get-togethers, meetings, all without masks. I have avoided wearing a mask in as many times and events as possible. My doctor tested me. He says I have not had COVID-19 yet. Recently, my daughter acquired COVID-19. She is a healthy 40-something runner and has been sick and miserable for close to a week but has not been hospitalized. Once you get the disease, what should others do? In the household of my daughter, she has it, her husband and son do not. What is the range of severity among those who have caught the disease and what are the underlying factors that contribute to the severity? 

A: Consider yourself extremely lucky that you haven't contracted the virus even though you're going out in the community without masks and attending large gatherings with people who don't live with you. That's a risky endeavor at 80 years old — or at any age — in the midst of a pandemic that has killed more than half a million Americans.  

The COVID-19 death rate is high among people your age. Eighty percent of COVID-19 deaths have been in people ages 65 and older. The CDC has a chart on its website that outlines  risk of death by age  from coronavirus infection. Compared with the baseline group, which is people ages 5-17, your risk at age 80 of dying from COVID-19 is 2,800 times higher. And you are 55 times more likely to be hospitalized. 

More: Inside Beaumont's COVID-19 units, nurses fear people 'just don't care'

Having an underlying health condition also can increase your risk of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19. Though I couldn't find data detailing which conditions are associated with the highest risk, the CDC does have some details about the health conditions that are more likely to lead to more serious illness or death in people who contract the virus. They include:

• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Down syndrome
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from organ, blood or bone marrow transplant, autoimmune conditions, HIV, or other conditions or medications that can weaken the immune system
• Being overweight or obese  
• Sickle cell disease
• Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Hypertension or high blood pressure
• Neurologic conditions, such as dementia
• Liver disease
• Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
• Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)

When you go out in public as you have without a mask or social distancing and gathering without taking precautions, you also are putting other people at risk. You could be a pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic carrier and infect others. 

As for your daughter, she should try to isolate from the others in her home as much as possible, sleep in a different room, use a different bathroom. The people who live with her should stay at least 6 feet away from her and wear masks when they do come near her, and also wash their hands often. If there is a window in the room, crack it a little to allow for better ventilation. The CDC has a range of suggestions and tips on its website for things like handling laundry for a person with COVID, etc. You can read it all here:  https://bit.ly/3cu2n9s . 

Contact Kristen Shamus: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus. 

You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site.

Routine Vaccines

It’s important to be up to date on recommended routine vaccines prior to travel, including Flu, RSV and COVID-19.

Find a Clinic

Advice for Travelers

Personalized Health Information Tool for Global Travel

Disease Directory

Frequently Asked Questions

CDC Yellow Book

Pre-travel Rapid Evaluation Portal for Patients

Clinician Resources

Research and Surveillance                                                     

• Medical Tourism
• Cholera Information for Health Care Professionals
• COVID-19 Travel Information
• Travel Industry Resources

Learn about CDC’s Traveler Genomic Surveillance Program that detects new COVID-19 variants entering the country.  

Sign up to get travel notices, clinical updates, & healthy travel tips.

See the full list of  Travel Health Notices , including:

Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions

• Updated   Yellow Fever in Nigeria March 28, 2024
• Updated   Diphtheria in Guinea March 20, 2024
• Diphtheria in Nigeria February 16, 2024

Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions

• Updated   Global Measles March 22, 2024
• Western Equine Encephalitis Virus in South America March 14, 2024
• Dengue in the Americas February 28, 2024

There are no Warning , Alert, Watch, COVID-19 Very High, COVID-19 High, COVID-19 Moderate, COVID-19 Low, COVID-19 Unknown, Level 4, or Level 3 notices currently in effect.

File Formats Help:

• Adobe PDF file
• Microsoft PowerPoint file
• Microsoft Word file
• Microsoft Excel file
• Audio/Video file
• Apple Quicktime file
• RealPlayer file
• Zip Archive file

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
• Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
• You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
• CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

Florida's new COVID-19 vaccination rules take aim at 'vaccine tourism'

Jan 25, 2021 • 2 min read

Non-resident travelers over 65 were reportedly heading to Florida to be vaccinated © Geber86/Getty Images

The practice of "vaccine tourism" will not be permitted in Florida, following reports that travelers were heading there as the state has made the COVID-19 vaccine available to people aged 65 and older.

While some of those making the trip own second homes in the state, it was alleged that others were travelers making short-term visits. This was supported by news reports featuring stories of people who claimed to have received the vaccination while vacationing in the Sunshine State. Florida will now require anyone seeking a COVID-19 vaccine in the state to verify their residency status, and its state surgeon general, Dr Scott Rivkees, issued a public health advisory requiring those distributing the vaccine to verify the status of those being vaccinated.

Prior to the ruling, Toronto -based private airline, Momentum Jets, told the Wall Street Journal that wealthy Canadians were willing to pay between $25,000 (€20,560) to $80,000 (€65,792) for same day, round-trip flights to Florida to receive their first dose of vaccine or set an appointment for one. However, Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, said during a press conference that the state is continuing to prioritize seniors for the vaccine but isn't making the jab available to visitors who don't own a home there.

The governor clarified that so-called “snowbirds,” or dual-state residents who spend the winters in Florida are permitted to get the vaccine. "Some of these nursing home people may live here six months of the year so that's a little bit different," he said. "We have people all over the country, because we put seniors first and because people actually see shots going in arms, you have literally people all over the world and all over the country calling here to see. We're not doing that, we're not doing it for tourists, we're not doing it for interlopers."

You might also like:

The UK to introduce strict new COVID-19 entry rules for travelers Primavera Sound trialed a COVID-safe concert in Barcelona without social distancing Singapore could soon ease travel restrictions on vaccinated visitors

Explore related stories

Destination Practicalities

Apr 4, 2024 • 6 min read

If you’re planning that big trip to Florida, read our tips on planning, etiquette and health and safety considerations in the Sunshine State.

Apr 3, 2024 • 5 min read

Apr 3, 2024 • 10 min read

Apr 3, 2024 • 6 min read

Mar 30, 2024 • 4 min read

Mar 26, 2024 • 5 min read

Mar 24, 2024 • 5 min read

Mar 24, 2024 • 7 min read

Mar 20, 2024 • 8 min read

Mar 19, 2024 • 6 min read

clock This article was published more than  3 years ago

Can I travel without getting a vaccine?

I’m probably one of the last people who will get one of the coronavirus vaccines. I’m healthy and a little too young to be considered at risk.

But I want to travel soon. So, like a lot of other unvaccinated people with wanderlust, I’ve been wondering: Can I travel without being vaccinated?

Answer: It depends on where I want to go.

Most airlines currently allow passengers to fly unvaccinated. But some require a negative coronavirus test. Qantas , the Australian carrier, has announced that it will begin mandating proof of vaccination for international flights.

Hotels generally do not require a negative coronavirus test or a vaccination. The same goes for car rental companies and vacation rentals.

Most cruise lines are not operating. When they resume, at least one of them, U.K.-based Saga Cruises , will require passengers to have been vaccinated at least 14 days before sailing. Others are expected to follow suit.

Your vaccination status could also affect access at your next destination. Restaurants, concert venues and other attractions might require a negative test result or proof of vaccination. No one knows what will happen yet.

“I believe that once the vaccine is offered to the general public, proof of vaccination will be the golden ticket to travel,” says Sylvia Lebovitch, a lead travel adviser with Ovation Travel Group , “especially internationally.”

So who will need to be vaccinated? Which countries might require the shots? What kind of documentation will you have to show, and is there any way around that? While it may be too early to answer those questions with any certainty, that hasn’t stopped the experts from trying.

The most obvious barrier could be at the border.

“Some countries may start requiring vaccines for entry or visa requirements,” says Ben Carothers, a flight coordinator for Global Air Ambulance .

No country has announced a vaccine requirement yet. But Carothers says that based on previous outbreaks, it probably isn’t a question of if, but when countries will impose such rules.

“We’re already seeing so many travel shutdowns that a vaccine might be the only way to ensure travel internationally,” he says.

That could put some travelers in a difficult spot, experts say.

“No one can be forced to take a vaccine,” says Len Horovitz, a physician and pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. “But not being vaccinated may shut some people out of options where a vaccination is required.”

Horovitz says travel without a vaccination or antibodies from a previous infection may raise the risk of contracting covid-19. And while masks offer some protection against infection, they don’t eliminate the threat.

“Most patients are becoming less hesitant to travel as they see people vaccinated without any appreciable side effects,” he says.

It’s difficult to predict which countries will require vaccination. “I would think it would be areas that have less access to medical vaccinations,” says Angie Licea, a division president at Internova Travel Group , a travel network. “Areas that might be more susceptible to individuals contracting the virus or spreading the virus, if not vaccinated.”

If you think requiring vaccination seems too intrusive, travel experts say you may need to think again.

“We have to remember that while this all seems new to us now, the reality is that travelers have been showing proof of vaccination or receiving travel vaccinations to enter certain destinations for decades — completely without concern,” says Ragan Stone, a travel adviser and owner of Ragan Stone Travel in Birmingham, Ala.

Will you need more than just a vaccine record? Yes, says Mariea Snell, assistant director of doctor of nursing practice programs at Maryville University in Missouri . The technology for tracking your vaccines, still under development, will need to do more than confirm your vaccinations.

“With the variations in efficacy between vaccines, it will be important to show what vaccine you received,” she says.

For now, a negative coronavirus test will probably be enough to get you on a plane or across a border. “But once the vaccination is widely available, if you want to travel internationally, there is a very high chance that you will be required to be vaccinated first,” says Narendra Khatri, CEO of Insubuy , a travel insurance company.

How soon that happens is anyone’s guess.

For travelers like me, it’s not a question of whether they can travel without vaccination, but how soon they can get the shots. I’m still waiting for my turn, but Steve Schumann just received his first shot and is already looking forward to traveling again. In 2019, he and his wife made three international trips, but they stayed home last year because of the pandemic.

“We would never think of traveling without the coronavirus vaccine,” says Schumann, a retired security manager from Hayward, Calif. He expects that by June most airlines will require passengers to have proof of vaccination before they can fly.

If that happens, it could throw our summer travel plans into chaos yet again and force many travelers to decide among Pfizer, Moderna — or a staycation.

Elliott is a consumer advocate, journalist and co-founder of the advocacy group Travelers United. Email him at [email protected] .

Read more from Travel :

Read past Navigator columns here

Your Life at Home

The Post’s best advice for living during the pandemic.

Health & Wellness: What to know before your vaccine appointment | Creative coping tips | What to do about Zoom fatigue

Newsletter: Sign up for Eat Voraciously — one quick, adaptable and creative recipe in your inbox every Monday through Thursday.

Parenting: Guidance for vaccinated parents and unvaccinated kids | Preparing kids for “the return” | Pandemic decision fatigue

Food: Dinner in Minutes | Use the library as a valuable (and free) resource for cookbooks, kitchen tools and more

Arts & Entertainment: Ten TV shows with jaw-dropping twists | Give this folk rock duo 27 minutes. They’ll give you a musically heartbreaking world.

Home & Garden: Setting up a home workout space | How to help plants thrive in spring | Solutions for stains and scratches

Travel: Vaccines and summer travel — what families need to know | Take an overnight trip with your two-wheeled vehicle

The countries you can travel to without a vaccine

By Abigail Malbon

Travel around the world is easier now, particularly for those who are fully vaccinated with an approved Covid vaccine – but some countries are allowing unvaccinated travellers to enter. Yet with restrictions constantly changing, how do the latest rules affect those who aren't fully vaccinated, and which countries are allowing tourists to enter if they're unvaccinated?

Where can I travel unvaccinated?

There are currently a number of countries that will allow visitors who have not been vaccinated to enter. A few of them are in Europe , and the others are slightly farther afield. We recommend always closely following UK health guidance, including having your Covid vaccine and booster if you are able to. Before travelling, you should regularly check government guidelines both for the country you might be considering visiting and for the UK when you return.

You can find the full list of countries allowing people to enter without a vaccine below:

Since 1 May 2022, unvaccinated travellers are able to visit the country without proof of a negative PCR or rapid antigen test. Passenger locator forms are also no longer required.

Arrivals may, however, be required to undergo a rapid Covid test on arrival. If you test positive on arrival in Greece, you (and those you are travelling with) will have to self-isolate for at least five days, either at home or in a hotel (this will be paid for by the Greek state). If you have no symptoms on day five you will be allowed to leave quarantine.

For holiday inspiration, see our guide to the best Greek Islands to visit .

Read the rules on travel to Greece .

2. Portugal and Madeira

Portugal ’s mainland and Madeira are open to travellers who have not been vaccinated, as long as they can prove they don't have coronavirus when they enter the country. To enter mainland Portugal, you will be required to show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 or an antigen test taken within 24 hours of departure for the country as well as complete and submit a traveller questionnaire before departure for the country. Self-administered tests are not accepted. Your temperature will also be screened on arrival.

To enter Madeira, you must register on the Madeira Safe travellers platform and download a QR code to present to airport staff on arrival. You must provide proof of a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours of departure that has been administered by a trained healthcare professional.

Your airline may deny boarding if you cannot show one of these documents when you check in for your flight. Check with your airline before you travel.

Read the rules on travel to Portugal .

Unvaccinated adult travellers can enter Spain if they are able to show proof of a negative test taken before entering the country. Previously, only fully vaccinated travellers aged 12 and over could enter Spain from the UK, but the destination has relaxed rules slightly, so it is now accepting negative PCR tests taken in the 72 hours before departure for the country or negative antigen tests taken in the 24 hours before departure for the country in lieu of full vaccination in adults. However, those who cannot meet either criteria will not be able to enter.

As of 1 February, you need to have received your second jab between 14 and 270 days before travel to Spain and the Canary Islands to be classed as fully vaccinated. Children aged 12-17 no longer need to show proof of a vaccine, but will need a negative PCR test to enter.

Read the rules on travel to Spain .

Unvaccinated travellers can enter Croatia without showing proof of a vaccine or negative test. The requirement to fill out a passenger locator form also no longer exists.

Read the rules on travel to Croatia .

Unvaccinated travellers to  Cyprus  must provide proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure for the country or an antigen test taken in the 24 hours before departure for the country. Travellers over 12 may then be asked to take another PCR test upon arrival at Larnaca or Paphos airports, and remain in isolation until the result comes back (this should take roughly three hours). This costs €15–€19 and must be paid for by the traveller.

Read the rules on travel to Cyprus .

If you are unvaccinated and over 12 years old, you must provide a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours or an antigen test result taken within 48 hours pre-departure for entry to France.

Read the rules on travel to France .

7. Maldives

All travellers to the Maldives must fill in a Traveller Declaration form in the 72 hours prior to departure. A PCR test is no longer required regardless of vaccination status.

Read the rules on travel to the Maldives .

Unvaccinated tourists entering Italy from the UK must show a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours before entering, or a negative lateral flow test taken within 48 hours before entering. The requirement to fill in a passenger locator form has now been lifted.

Read the rules on travel to Italy .

9. Dubai and United Arab Emirates

You do not have to be fully vaccinated to visit the UAE. Unvaccinated arrivals to the Emirates must present evidence of a negative PCR test taken 48 hours before departure. Unvaccinated travellers from the UK to Dubai may be required to have a Covid-19 PCR test on arrival.

Read the rules on travel to Dubai .

10. Slovenia

Unvaccinated British travellers to Slovenia must provide a Digital Passenger Locator Form, but are not required to show proof of a negative test or vaccination to enter.

You do not need to be fully vaccinated to visit Turkey, but you must be able to show proof of a negative PCR test (taken no more than 72 hours before entry), rapid antigen test (taken no more than 48 hours before entry), or proof of a recent recovery from Covid-19 within the last six months. Arrivals into the country should also show an online form completed 72 hours before travel and will be subject to a medical evaluation for symptoms of coronavirus, including temperature checks. Arrivals may be subject to random PCR testing on arrival.

Stacey Lastoe

Becky Lucas

Liz Humphreys

CNT Editors

You must wear a face mask at all times while in an airport and for the duration of all flights, to and from Turkey.

Read the rules on travel to Turkey .

Mexico  does not currently require visitors to show a negative PCR test or quarantine on arrival. Resorts are also able to request guests fill in a health questionnaire on arrival.

Read the rules on travel to Mexico .

13. Ireland

If you are travelling to Ireland as of Sunday 6 March 2022, you do not need to show any proof of vaccination, proof of recovery, negative test or passenger locator form.

Read the rules on travel to Ireland .

As of Friday 1 April 2022, UK travellers visiting Sweden are no longer required to present a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination.

15. Seychelles

Travellers are able to enter Seychelles regardless of vaccination status, but must present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure for the country or a rapid antigen test done within 24 hours. There is no requirement to quarantine on arrival, but travellers must stay in approved accommodation.

16. Bahamas

Unvaccinated travellers aged 12 and over must show a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to the date of arrival to The Bahamas. All visitors of any age must submit a Bahamas Travel Health Visa Trip application. Seventeen-year-olds and under must be included in a parent or guardian’s profile.

All travellers to Egypt must complete a declaration form before entering the country. Unvaccinated travellers are required to show either a negative PCR test, taken no more than 72 hours before arrival in Egypt, or a rapid antigen test. Proof of Covid-19 recovery will not be accepted.

18. Cape Verde

You do not need to be fully vaccinated to enter Cape Verde, but you do need to be able to prove that you don't have Covid, either with a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before departure for the country or a lateral flow test taken 48 hours, when you check-in for your flight to Cape Verde.

19. Iceland

On 25 February 2022 all Covid restrictions were removed, including domestic rules. This means you do not need to test or show proof of vaccination status to enter the country.

20. Luxembourg

All travellers to Luxembourg need to fill in a passenger locator form before their flight. Those who are not vaccinated need to show proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before their flight, or a negative lateral flow test taken no more than 24 hours before. If you’re not fully vaccinated but have tested positive for Covid in the last year you can show proof of recovery to enter.

The travel restrictions upon entry into Norway have been lifted, which means that the same rules as before the pandemic now apply.

Read the rules on travel to Norway .

22. Sri Lanka

Covid travel insurance is mandatory for all visitors, and unvaccinated travellers need to show proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before their flight, or a negative lateral flow test taken no more than 48 hours before – be aware that self-swab tests are not recognised.

23. South Africa

Travellers to South Africa must present proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure for the country. You may be screened on arrival.

Read the rules on travel to South Africa .

Unvaccinated travellers to Belize must present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before arrival, or a negative antigen test taken in the 48 hours before arrival. You may also opt to take a rapid test at the airport, at a cost of BZ$100 or US$50 (which must be paid in cash). If you test positive, you will be required to quarantine at your own cost. Foreign tourists are required to pay BZ$36 (US$18) for Belize Travel Health Insurance – this is mandatory even if you already have personal travel insurance and helps protect against incurred medical and non-medical expenses should you test positive for Covid during your stay in Belize.

There are no direct flights from the UK to Belize, so it's important to check the rules of the country you will be transiting through too.

25. Costa Rica

Since 1 April 2022 there have been no requirements for entry to Costa Rica in regards to coronavirus. However, the government acknowledges that these may be brought back at short notice, in which case travellers should always check guidance before their trip.

Since 6 April 2022, there have been no requirements for travellers from the UK to show either a Covid vaccination or Covid test when entering Cuba. However, random testing is still being carried out at airports, and anyone who tests positive will be moved to quarantine in a designated government health centre, at their own expense.

27. Denmark

There are no Covid-related requirements regarding test or self-isolation when entering Denmark.

Read the rules on travel to Denmark .

You do not need to show proof of vaccination to enter Monaco, however travellers over the age of 16 who are not fully vaccinated will need to provide either a negative result of a PCR or antigen test taken within the last 24 hours, or a certificate showing proof of recovery from Covid-19 (a positive PCR or antigen test, taken more than 11 days before arrival and within the last six months).

Do I have to quarantine when returning to the UK?

No. On 18 March 2022 all Covid travel rules within the UK were removed – which means that travellers do not need to test, quarantine or even fill in a passenger locator form , regardless of their vaccination status, upon return to the country.

My Settings

Florida Department of

Agriculture and Consumer Services

My Settings/Mi Configuración

Need more information?

Share this page

Situation in Haiti March 29, 2024

U.s. citizens in haiti, update january 10, 2024, information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

• Travel Advisories |
• Contact Us |
• MyTravelGov |

Find U.S. Embassies & Consulates

Travel.state.gov, congressional liaison, special issuance agency, u.s. passports, international travel, intercountry adoption, international parental child abduction, records and authentications, popular links, travel advisories, mytravelgov, stay connected, legal resources, legal information, info for u.s. law enforcement, replace or certify documents.

Travel.State.Gov Newsroom

U.S. Passports News

International Travel News

U.S. Visas News

Intercountry Adoption News and Notices

Share this page:

Update on Change to U.S. Travel Policy Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for nonimmigrant travel

Worldwide Visa Operations: Update

Employment-Based Fourth Preference (EB-4) Announcement

Suspension of Visa Services in Sudan

Diversity Visa 2024 Update

Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases to Take Effect June 17, 2023

India EB-3 Retrogression

Expiration of Covid-Era Visa Application Fee Receipts

Digital Visa Authorization (DVA) Proof of Concept

Final Rule Governing Public Charge Grounds of Visa Ineligibility

Visa Waiver Travel for Israeli Citizens

Important Update on Waivers of the Interview Requirement for Certain Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants

Department of State to Process Domestic Visa Renewals in Limited Pilot Program

The Administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travelers at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. This means starting May 12, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers will no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. CDC’s Amended Order Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic will no longer be in effect when the Presidential Proclamation Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic is revoked .

Please see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/01/the-biden-administration-will-end-covid-19-vaccination-requirements-for-federal-employees-contractors-international-travelers-head-start-educators-and-cms-certified-facilities/

External Link

You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

You are about to visit:

• Patient Portal | Contact Us

It's a New Day in Public Health.

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

• Programs & Services

Certificates

Adult and Travel Immunizations

Immunizations

•   239-461-6100

Mailing Address

3920 Michigan Ave, 

Fort Myers, FL 33916 

Immunization services are provided by appointment only.

Please call 239-461-6100 for an appointment.

Please Note: Clients requesting an immunization record   only   may walk in during the following hours:

Business Hours

Monday-Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Adults need to keep their vaccinations up to date because immunity from childhood vaccines can wear off over time. The Florida Department of Health in Lee County’s Immunization program offers a variety of vaccinations to adults for both regular preventative care and travel.

Please Note: Clients requesting an immunization record  only  may walk in during the following hours:

For a copy of your vaccination record please email: [email protected] or call 239-461-6100.

All adult (age 19 and older) and travel immunization services will be provided by appointment only. Please call 239-461-6100 for availability of appointments for adult and travel vaccines.

Please note: Clients requesting an immunization record only may walk in during Business Hours (See right).

When traveling outside the United States, it is important to ensure your health is protected. Many of the diseases that have been eliminated through immunizations in the United States are still common in other parts of the world. The Florida Department of Health in Lee County administers adult vaccines, including immunizations for international travel, such as Yellow Fever and Typhoid, plus information regarding non-vaccine preventable illness treatments like anti-malaria medicine. In addition, DOH-Lee provides critical information for travelers on general safety issues, travel alerts and up to date health information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Travelers are encouraged to check the recommended or required vaccines as soon as travel plans are made. It can take several weeks or months to complete the series of vaccinations on the Vaccination Schedule . Travel vaccines are preferably given at least one month before travel. As soon as you know you will be traveling outside the US, we recommend that you make an appointment to see a nurse for travel vaccines and counseling, so call well ahead of your planned departure date. Please bring all immunization and travel records with you. Advise the nurse of your status regarding:

• any known allergies
• previous vaccine reactions
• pregnancy or breast feeding

Appointments can be made by calling 239-461-6100. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time to complete registration.

We accept cash, check, MasterCard, VISA and Discover for payment of vaccines.

The prices for adult vaccines are listed below and are subject to change. Each price listed is per individual dose of vaccine. Prices below do not include the administration fee.

Adult Vaccines:

For more information regarding these vaccines, please visit the following websites:

• Adult vaccination schedule
• Travel vaccinations

Travelers are encouraged to check the recommended or required vaccines as soon as travel plans are made. Travel vaccines are preferably given at least one month before travel.

Please check the links below for more information about adult shots available through other organizations.

• Flu Vaccine Finder
• CVS Pharmacy
• American Lung Association

Connect with DOH

Featured Programs

• Related Organizations
• UnitedWay 211
• Lee County Resource Guide
• Lee County Pocket Guide to Emergency Assistance
• Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida
• SalusCare -Southwest Florida Addiction Services
• Healthy Start of Southwest Florida
• Collaboratory
• Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition
• Youth Services Coalition
• Lee County Homeless Coalition
• Florida Kid Care (Health Insurance)
• ACCESS Florida (Public Assistance Benefits)
• Florida Consumer Services
• Florida Discount Drug Card
• Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement
• Federal benefits
• Product Recalls
• CDC - Centers fo Disease Control and Prevention
• Head Lice Information
• FloridaCHARTS - Health Statistics

Florida Health Across the State

• State Surgeon General
• State Leadership
• County Health Department Leadership
• Boards, Councils & Committees
• Birth Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Divorce Certificates
• Marriage Certificates

Statistics & Data

• www.floridacharts.com
• Request Vital Statistics
• Research Data
• Inspection Reports
• About Florida Health
• Accreditation
• Public Meeting Notices
• Public Notices
• Public Records Requests
• State Health Improvement Plan
• Annual Regulatory Plans—Florida Department of Health (pdf)
• Annual Regulatory Plans—Boards (pdf)
• Certificates and Registries

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy .

• Accessibility Information
• Email Advisory
• Social Media

US to Require COVID-19 Vaccinations for Arriving International Travelers

Unvaccinated american citizens will need to be tested within a day before returning to the u.s., as well as after they arrive home., published september 20, 2021 • updated on september 20, 2021 at 2:24 pm.

The U.S. said Monday it will ease airline restrictions this fall on travel to the country for people who have vaccination proof and a negative COVID-19 test, replacing a hodgepodge of rules that had kept out many non-citizens and irritated allies in Europe and beyond where virus cases are far lower.

The changes, to take effect in November, will allow families and others who have been separated by the travel restrictions for 18 months to plan for long-awaited reunifications and allow foreigners with work permits to get back to their jobs in the U.S.

Airlines, business groups and travelers cheered.

“It’s a happy day. Big Apple, here I come!” said French entrepreneur Stephane Le Breton, 45, finally able to book a trip to New York City that had been put on hold over the virus restrictions.

Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.

The new policy will replace a patchwork of travel bans first instituted by President Donald Trump last year and tightened by President Joe Biden that restrict travel by non-citizens who have in the prior 14 days been in the United Kingdom, European Union, China, India, Iran, Republic of Ireland, Brazil or South Africa.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced the new policies, which still will require all foreign travelers flying to the U.S. to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of flight. Biden will also tighten testing rules for unvaccinated American citizens, who will need to be tested within a day before returning to the U.S., as well as after they arrive home.

Fully vaccinated passengers will not be required to quarantine, Zients said.

U.S. & World

Border Patrol must care for migrant children in ‘safe and sanitary' facilities, judge rules

No Labels ends 2024 presidential efforts

There will be no immediate change to U.S. land border policies, which restrict much cross-border travel with Mexico and Canada.

The travel bans had become the source of growing geopolitical frustration, particularly among allies in the UK and EU. The easing comes ahead of Biden meeting with some European leaders on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly this week.

“This is based on individuals rather than a country-based approach, so it’s a stronger system," Zients said.

The EU and UK had previously moved to allow vaccinated U.S. travelers in without quarantines, in an effort to boost business and tourism. But the EU recommended last month that some travel restrictions be reimposed on U.S. travelers to the bloc because of the rampant spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus in America.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will require airlines to collect contact information from international travelers to facilitate tracing, Zients said.

It was not immediately clear which vaccines would be acceptable under the U.S. system and whether those unapproved in the U.S. could be used. Zients said that decision would be up to the CDC.

Monday's announcement was met with applause by the air travel industry, which has lost significant revenue from declines in international travel.

Delta Air Lines spokesman Morgan Durrant said, "Science tells us that vaccinations coupled with testing is the safest way to re-open travel, and we are optimistic this important decision will allow for the continued economic recovery both in the U.S. and abroad and the reunification of families who have been separated for more than 18 months.”

Worldwide, air travel is still down more than half from pre-pandemic levels, and the decline is much sharper for cross-border flying. By July, domestic travel had recovered to 84% of 2019 numbers, but international travel was just 26% of the same month two years ago, according to figures this month from the airline industry’s main global trade group, the International Air Transport Association.

The numbers are similar but not quite as stark for the U.S., where international travel in August was 46% of that in August 2019, according to Airlines for America. Arrivals by non-U.S. citizens were only 36% of the 2019 level.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted that he was “delighted” by the news. He said: “It’s a fantastic boost for business and trade, and great that family and friends on both sides of the pond can be reunited once again.”

Airlines hailed the U.S. decision as a lifeline for the struggling industry. Tim Alderslade, chief executive of industry body Airlines U.K. said it was “a major breakthrough.”

Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said it was “a major milestone. ... The U.K. will now be able to strengthen ties with our most important economic partner, the U.S., boosting trade and tourism as well as reuniting friends, families and business colleagues."

The changes also drew praise from business groups, who have been contending with labor shortages as the economy bounces back with unexpected strength from last year’s coronavirus recession. U.S. employers have been posting job openings — a record 10.9 million in July — faster than applicants can fill them.

Myron Brilliant, head of international affairs for the U..S. Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement, “Allowing vaccinated foreign nationals to travel freely to the United States will help foster a robust and durable recovery for the American economy.”

AP writers Jill Lawless in London, Thomas Adamson-Koumbouzis in Paris and David Koenig in Dallas contributed.

This article tagged under:

• About Us | Contact Us | Newsroom

It's a New Day in Public Health.

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

• Programs & Services
• Licensing & Regulation

Statistics & Data

Certificates

• Diseases & Conditions
• Environmental Health

Florida Department of Health Issues New Guidance Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination Recommendations for Children

March 08, 2022

Share This Page

Contact:  Communications Office   [email protected]   850-245-4111

Tallahassee, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health (Department) is the first state in the nation to issue guidance stating that healthy children from ages 5 to 17 may not benefit from receiving the currently available COVID-19 vaccine. The Department recommends that children with underlying conditions are the best candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine. This follows Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo’s announcement at a roundtable hosted yesterday by Governor Ron DeSantis.

“It is essential for health care practitioners to analyze existing data on the COVID-19 vaccine alongside parents when deciding to vaccinate children,” said Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo . “Based on currently available data, the risks of administering COVID-19 vaccination among healthy children may outweigh the benefits. That is why these decisions should be made on an individual basis, and never mandated.”

The guidance from Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo can be found here .

On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis hosted a roundtable with world renowned physicians and epidemiologists to discuss the failures of lockdowns and mandates in response to COVID-19, including the negative impacts on mental health associated with isolation. The experts also discussed the risks of the COVID-19 vaccine to healthy children weighed against the low risk that COVID-19 illness poses to them.

“If you are 75 years old and you haven't had COVID-19, then I think it's a no brainer to get the vaccine because you are high risk – even if there is a small risk for an adverse reaction – that's much less than the benefit from the vaccine or preventing death,” said Dr. Martin Kulldorff . “For children, the story is very, very different. I think in public health, it's important to be honest, not only about what we know, but also what we don't know. If you go back and look at the randomized trials for children of the Pfizer vaccine that we used for the emergency use authorization, what those trials showed – and they had about a little over 4,000 people in total in these two trials – is that there is the reduction in mild infections. If you look at serious disease, the hospitalization and deaths, there was none.”

“For parents who are trying to decide on what they should do [with COVID-19 vaccines], the first thing that you want to do for harm-benefit analysis is: Is there a mortality benefit for these vaccines for your child?” said Dr. Joseph Fraiman . “The question is, if you have a child who's at risk or has co-risk factors for COVID-19, that's a discussion with your pediatrician, but if you have a healthy child, the chances of that child dying are incredibly low, essentially close to zero, if not actually zero. Then the next part of the analysis that you would have to think about are the side effects of the vaccine and the symptoms of COVID-19. The vaccine causes severe symptoms in children and adults.”

“The argument for vaccinating children for that for the societal benefit is not what it used to be,” said Dr. Tracy Høeg .“We need to look at children who have already been infected – and we know according to the CDC that that's at least 58% of children, it’s probably more by now. Especially for healthy children, we don't know if they've benefitted from being vaccinated on top of already having infection. That's actually true for adults. That's been shown with data from the CDC out of New York and California.”

The full roundtable hosted by Governor Ron DeSantis can be found here .

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board , works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook . For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov .

For Media Inquiries

• 850-245-4111
• [email protected]

Connect with DOH

Featured Programs

Florida Health Across the State

• State Surgeon General
• State Leadership
• County Health Department Leadership
• Boards, Councils & Committees
• Birth Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Divorce Certificates
• Marriage Certificates
• www.floridacharts.com
• Request Vital Statistics
• Research Data
• Inspection Reports
• About Florida Health
• Accreditation
• Public Meeting Notices
• Public Notices
• Public Records Requests
• State Health Improvement Plan
• Annual Regulatory Plans—Florida Department of Health (pdf)
• Annual Regulatory Plans—Boards (pdf)
• Certificates and Registries

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy .

• Accessibility Information
• Email Advisory
• Social Media

• Patient Portal | Contact Us

The Florida Health Connect Patient Portal is currently experiencing technical difficulties

• Programs & Services

Certificates

Traveler Immunizations

•   (863) 519-8233
•   [email protected]

Mailing Address

Florida Department of Health in Polk County 

1290 Golfview Ave 

Bartow, FL 33830 

Many of the diseases that have been eliminated in the United States are still common in other parts of the world. When traveling outside the United States, it is important to ensure your health is protected.

In addition to providing specific vaccines needed based on your destination, such as yellow fever and typhoid, the Health Department also provides prescriptions for anti-malaria medicine and critical information on general safety issues, travel alerts, and health information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As soon as you know you will be traveling outside the US, you can visit the CDC Travelers Health website at:  Travelers' Health | CDC  (link opens in a new window). Prior to making an appointment,   this will help you have an idea of what type of vaccines may be required/recommended for your travel.

Also, when you call to schedule your travel appointment with one of our travel clinics located in  Bartow  or  Lakeland , the travel nurses can answer any questions you may have to help you identify what vaccines may be needed before you travel.   

It can take several weeks or months to complete the series of vaccinations. So, you should call well ahead of your planned departure date.

Travel vaccination visits are by appointment ONLY.  No walk -ins for these visits. 

• Travel vaccination visits require a $40.00 visit fee. 
• Most travel vaccinations may also have fees associated with them.
• When you call to schedule your appointment, you can ask about the fees before your visit. 
• We take most forms of payment. 
• Travel appointments can take approximately up to 1 hour for the visit. 

Please fill out this form before your appointment and bring it to your appointment with you:  Travel Vaccine Questionnaire  (opens in new window). 

For travel vaccination appointments, please call 863-519-7910. Press option 3 for medical services and then press option 1 to speak to our call center. If it goes to voicemail, please leave a message specifying your interest in travel immunizations appointment and your call will be returned. Once you speak with a member of our call center, let them know which location you would like to go to for your travel appointment and they will assist you. 

**SEE LOCATIONS BELOW**

**SEE AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT THE YELLOW FEVER VACCINE BELOW**

TRAVEL VACCINATION LOCATIONS AND APPOINTMENT DAYS:

Lakeland Health Department

3241 Lakeland Hills Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33805 Travel appointments ONLY on Tuesdays Travel Nurse: 863-940-5166

Specialty Care Clinic/ Bartow Immunizations Program Office

1255 Brice Blvd., Bartow, FL 33830 Travel appointments ONLY on Wednesdays Travel Nurse: 863-578-2225

Yellow fever vaccine is often REQUIRED or highly recommended for some countries you are interested in visiting. The yellow fever vaccine is for those aged 9 months and older. This live virus vaccine contains some egg components. If you are seeking a yellow fever vaccine, speak to your doctor first. 

PLEASE NOTE: Anyone in need of a yellow fever vaccine MUST bring a note from their primary care provider on the day of the travel immunization visit. This note must state that the yellow fever vaccine can be administered to you. Failure to provide this note may result in the denial of the vaccine during your travel vaccine visit.

Vaccine Longevity as of 2013-2014: In 2013-2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) changed the longevity for the yellow fever vaccine for entry requirements. Previously, the vaccine was only good for 10 years. As of 2013-2014, according to the WHO, after 10 days of receiving the vaccine, you are fully protected, and it is now considered good through life.

For Those Vaccinated Prior to 2013-2014: If you had a yellow fever vaccination before 2013-2014, and your yellow fever certificate/booklet states “good for 10 years”, your travel nurse can provide you with a Yellow Fever Resolution Sheet published by the WHO. Attach this sheet with your yellow fever certificate/booklet for validity when you're ready to travel.

Connect with DOH

Featured Programs

• Related Organizations
• County Health Services
• Polk County Literacy Guide

Florida Health Across the State

• State Surgeon General
• State Leadership
• County Health Department Leadership
• Boards, Councils & Committees
• Birth Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Divorce Certificates
• Marriage Certificates

Statistics & Data

• www.floridacharts.com
• Request Vital Statistics
• Research Data
• Inspection Reports
• About Florida Health
• Accreditation
• Public Meeting Notices
• Public Notices
• Public Records Requests
• State Health Improvement Plan
• Annual Regulatory Plans—Florida Department of Health (pdf)
• Annual Regulatory Plans—Boards (pdf)
• Certificates and Registries

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy .

• Accessibility Information
• Email Advisory
• Social Media

Sign up for the Health News Florida newsletter

Florida's stricter ban on abortions expected to put more pressure on clinics elsewhere.

People from Florida will have to travel farther, with the nearest clinic to offer abortion later in pregnancy without a three-day wait in Virginia. And it's not only Florida residents who will be affected.

The drive to Bristol, Virginia, from Jacksonville takes more than eight hours. It's over 10 from Orlando and closer to 14 from Miami. Despite that distance, Bristol Women’s Health Center is preparing for an influx of women from Florida seeking abortions when a stricter ban kicks in next month.

For many people who otherwise would have obtained abortions in Florida, the clinic in Southwest Virginia will become the closest practical option — as it already is for a swath of the South after a Florida policy change expected to resonate far beyond the state's borders.

“The majority of the patients we do serve are coming from banned states,” said Karolina Ogorek, the clinic’s administrative director. “I think that Florida will just become another one of the states that we serve.”

On Monday, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the state's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. That step allows another, stricter ban to take effect on May 1, making abortion illegal in the state after six weeks' gestation — before many women realize they're pregnant. The ban includes exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape, incest or human trafficking, or that threaten the life or physical health of the woman and for fatal fetal anomalies.

In a separate but closely related ruling, the court also allowed a referendum that will let the state’s voters decide in November whether they want an amendment to the state constitution allowing abortion until viability.

Stephanie Loraine Piñeiro, executive director of the Florida Access Network, which helps pay for abortion care for Florida women, said that the law coupled with a 24-hour waiting period for abortion will be a “total ban” in practical terms.

And getting to a provider elsewhere, she said, will drive the average cost of abortion — including transportation, lodging, meals, child care and clinic fees — to around $4,000, about twice what it is now. That will strain organizations like hers, which already often hits its budget limit well before the end of the month, as they shift to helping people get care elsewhere.

That could strand people who can't get time off work, afford travel, arrange child care or lack documentation to travel, Piñeiro said.

“The people who are most marginalized are going to continue to not have access,” she said.

She said she expects some of the state’s clinics to close for lack of patients.

Currently, the average distance to a facility that provides abortion for Florida residents is 20 miles, said Caitlin Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College in Vermont who studies the impact of abortion bans. But when the new ban takes effect, the average distance to one that offers abortion after the first six weeks of pregnancy will be 584 miles.

And that only gets patients to North Carolina, where two in-person visits are required 72 hours apart to receive an abortion — and only for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in most cases.

It's more than 100 miles farther to Virginia.

Some areas already have long drives to the nearest abortion providers — eight hours from San Antonio to Santa Teresa, New Mexico, for instance, and nine from New Orleans to Carbondale, Illinois, or Houston to Wichita, Kansas.

But the geography will make South Florida the most highly populated place in the U.S. that's farthest from in-person abortion access past the first six weeks.

Georgia and South Carolina, which have bans that begin after about six weeks and Ohio, which had a similar one for a time, have seen in the neighborhood of half as many abortions with those policies in effect. Some people are able to obtain abortion close to home earlier in pregnancy rather than traveling.

It's not only Florida residents who will be affected by the new ban.

“Florida is a really important state for Southern abortion access, and it has been a state that has experienced a surge in travelers from Georgia and Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana who are traveling out of those states, avoiding near total or six-week bans to facilities,” Myers said.

Of the 84,000 abortions provided in Florida last year, about 7,700 were for people who live out of state. Now, most of those patients will travel farther for access, too.

The total number of abortions in the country has been roughly stable since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended a nationwide right to abortion in 2022. But the details have changed.

Far more are provided by pills rather than surgery, with a major increase in prescriptions through telehealth — including to patients in states with bans from providers where laws seek to protect such prescriptions. But there could be legal tests of whether those protections are valid. And the U.S. Supreme Court is already considering an effort to roll back approvals for one of the two drugs usually used in combination for medication abortion.

Planned Parenthood centers in Florida have been preparing for the stricter ban to take effect. Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said they've implemented rapid blood tests to determine pregnancy earlier, increased education and contraception programs, and ramped up efforts to help people travel elsewhere for abortion.

“We’re doing what we can,” she said. “But we’ve as we’ve seen in other states, it’s still going to have a devastating impact on our public health system.”

Since states began enforcing bans after the 2022 ruling, the Bristol clinic has added appointment slots in afternoons, Saturdays and some Sundays — and has adjusted to the idea that patients could be late because of traffic jams as far away as Atlanta.

“In order for them to come to Virginia, there’s a lot of planning involved,” Ogorek said. “It’s not just taking a few hours off of work and driving 20 minutes”

Florida's stricter ban on abortions could put more pressure on clinics elsewhere

The drive to Bristol, Virginia, from Jacksonville, Florida, takes more than eight hours. It's over 10 from Orlando and closer to 14 from Miami. Despite that distance, Bristol Women’s Health Center is preparing for an influx of women from Florida seeking abortions when a stricter ban kicks in next month.

For many people who otherwise would have obtained abortions in Florida, the clinic in southwest Virginia will become the closest practical option — as it already is for a swath of the South after a Florida policy change expected to resonate far beyond the state's borders.

“The majority of the patients we do serve are coming from banned states,” said Karolina Ogorek, the clinic’s administrative director. “I think that Florida will just become another one of the states that we serve.”

On Monday, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the state's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. That step allows another, stricter ban to take effect on May 1, making abortion illegal in the state after six weeks' gestation — before many women realize they're pregnant. The ban includes exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape, incest or human trafficking, or that threaten the life or physical health or the woman and for fatal fetal anomalies.

In a separate but closely related ruling, the court also allowed a referendum that will let the state’s voters decide in November whether they want an amendment to the state constitution allowing abortion until viability.

Stephanie Loraine Piñeiro, executive director of the Florida Access Network, which helps pay for abortion care for Florida women, said that the law coupled with a 24-hour waiting period for abortion will be a “total ban” in practical terms.

And getting to a provider elsewhere, she said, will drive the average cost of abortion — including transportation, lodging, meals, child care and clinic fees — to around $4,000, about twice what it is now. That will strain organizations like hers, which already often hits its budget limit well before the end of the month, as they shift to helping people get care elsewhere.

READ MORE : Range of reactions to Florida Supreme Court upholding 15-week abortion ban, ballot language approval

That could strand people who can't get time off work, afford travel, arrange child care or lack documentation to travel, Piñeiro said.

“The people who are most marginalized are going to cotinine to not have access,” she said.

She said she expects some of the state’s clinics to close for lack of patients.

Currently, the average distance to a facility that provides abortion for Florida residents is 20 miles (32 kilometers), said Caitlin Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College in Vermont who studies the impact of abortion bans. But when the new ban takes effect, the average distance to one that offers abortion after the first six weeks of pregnancy will be 584 miles (940 kilometers).

And that only gets patients to North Carolina, where two in-person visits are required 72 hours apart to receive an abortion — and only for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in most cases.

It's more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) farther to Virginia.

Some areas already have long drives to the nearest abortion providers — eight hours from San Antonio, Texas, to Santa Teresa, New Mexico, for instance, and nine from New Orleans to Carbondale, Illinois, or Houston to Wichita, Kansas. But the geography will make South Florida the most highly populated place in the U.S. that's farthest from in-person abortion access past the first six weeks.

READ MORE : Top Democrats denounce Florida's abortion ban at congressional hearing in Fort Lauderdale

Georgia and South Carolina, which have bans that begin after about six weeks and Ohio, which had a similar one for a time, have seen in the neighborhood of half as many abortions with those policies in effect. Some people are able to obtain abortion close to home earlier in pregnancy rather than traveling.

It's not only Florida residents who will be affected by the new ban.

“Florida is a really important state for Southern abortion access, and it has been a state that has experienced a surge in travelers from Georgia and Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana who are traveling out of those states, avoiding near total or six-week bans to facilities,” Myers said.

Of the 84,000 abortions provided in Florida last year, about 7,700 were for people who live out of state. Now most of those patients will travel farther for access, too.

The total number of abortions in the country has been roughly stable since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended a nationwide right to abortion in 2022. But the details have changed.

Far more are provided by pills rather than surgery, with a major increase in prescriptions through telehealth — including to patients in states with bans from providers where laws seek to protect such prescriptions. But there could be legal tests of whether those protections are valid. And the U.S. Supreme Court is already considering an effort to roll back approvals for one of the two drugs usually used in combination for medication abortion.

Planned Parenthood centers in Florida have been preparing for the stricter ban to take effect. Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, said they've implemented rapid blood tests to determine pregnancy earlier, increased education and contraception programs, and ramped up efforts to help people travel elsewhere for abortion.

“We’re doing what we can,” she said. “But we’ve as we’ve seen in other states, it’s still going to have a devastating impact on our public health system.”

Since states began enforcing bans after the 2022 ruling, the Bristol clinic has added appointment slots in afternoons, Saturdays and some Sundays — and has adjusted to the idea that patients could be late because of traffic jams as far away as Atlanta.

“In order for them to come to Virginia, there’s a lot of planning involved,” Ogorek said. “It’s not just taking a few hours off of work and driving 20 minutes.”

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

I’m a Doctor. Dengue Fever Took Even Me by Surprise on Vacation.

By Deborah Heaney

Dr. Heaney is a physician in Ann Arbor, Mich.

I hate mosquitoes so much that I take my own bug repellent to parties. But in early March, on a trip with my partner to the idyllic island of Curaçao off the coast of Venezuela, I was caught off guard by insect bites after our bed-and-breakfast hosts said that mosquitoes didn’t usually appear until late summer.

Near the end of the vacation, my legs began to ache. After I couldn’t keep up with my partner on a snorkeling adventure, he pulled me from the water. My ribs felt broken, as if I’d been smashed against large boulders in the sea. Later that day came intense fever, alternating with shaking chills.

Back in Michigan — weak, nauseated and dehydrated from explosive diarrhea — I ended up in the emergency department. Tests showed concerning white blood cell levels and abnormal liver numbers. The physician assistant who saw me was perplexed; she gave me IV fluids and medication for nausea and sent me home.

A few days later I developed itching so severe that I couldn’t sleep. A bright red rash spread over both thighs and up my lower back. My brain was foggy, and my balance was so impaired that I would have failed a sobriety test. My primary care doctor had no answers. But as my head began to clear, it occurred to me to request a dengue fever test.

Two days later, the test was positive.

Despite my training in medicine, I was blindsided. Dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, is surging through Latin America and the Caribbean, including in Puerto Rico, where a public health emergency was declared last week. This year is likely to be the worst on record, in part because of El Niño-driven temperature spikes and extreme weather linked to climate change. As temperatures rise and precipitation patterns grow more erratic, the problem will get only worse.

But neither the traveling public nor our frontline health workers are prepared. Without urgent reforms to how we educate travelers, doctors, nurses and others — as well as reforms to public health surveillance and early warning systems — we will be doomed to miss textbook cases like mine. That means those infected with dengue will miss out on timely treatment, possibly even spreading the virus to areas where it was never found before.

Dengue virus, which is transmitted by the Aedes species of mosquitoes, infects up to 400 million people every year in nearly every region of the world, but it is most prevalent in Latin America, South and Southeast Asia and East Africa. Most cases are asymptomatic or, like mine, are considered mild, although the aptly nicknamed breakbone fever often doesn’t feel that way. Some 5 percent of cases progress to a severe, life-threatening disease including hemorrhagic fever.

One malicious feature of this virus is that when someone is infected a second time with a different type, the risk of severe dengue is higher. A vaccine exists, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends it only for children ages 9 to 16 who had dengue before and live in places where the virus is common. That’s because, paradoxically, if you’ve never had dengue, the vaccine puts you at greater risk of severe illness your first time.

Dengue outbreaks, which, in the Americas, tend to occur every three to five years , now appear to be expanding their geographic reach as temperatures climb . The Aedes mosquito has typically had difficulty surviving and reproducing during the winter in temperate climates. But in parts of Brazil, which currently faces a dengue emergency , the thermometer no longer dips as low in the winter as it once did, allowing the bugs to reproduce year-round. Overall, Latin America and the Caribbean have had three times the number of cases this year as reported for the same period in 2023, which was a record year. Higher temperatures are also helping the virus develop faster inside the mosquito, leading to a higher viral load and a higher probability of transmission. And mosquitoes are benefiting from standing water from rains and floods that are growing more extreme in a warming world.

As the virus spreads globally, travelers are bringing infections back to the continental United States. Based on 2024 numbers to date, this year should show a clear increase of cases here at home compared with 2023, given that the typical dengue season hasn’t even started yet. There could also be local outbreaks in places like Florida, Texas and California, which experienced small ones in the past. As Dr. Gabriela Paz-Bailey, the chief of the C.D.C.’s dengue branch, told me by email, “Increased travel to places with dengue risk could lead to more local transmission, but the risk of widespread transmission in the continental United States is low.”

But since testing is done only on a small fraction of cases, many are going uncounted. I was the one who requested that I be tested. Had I not been given a diagnosis, I would not be aware of my increased risk of severe illness if I am reinfected. Getting a diagnosis is crucial to inform those infected in areas where the Aedes mosquito lives so that the virus doesn’t spread further.

The growing risk means travelers to regions with dengue must be savvier: They can check local news and U.S. State Department advisories, bring an effective insect repellent and protective clothing and book lodging with air-conditioning or screens on the windows and doors. Though the Aedes mosquitoes now live year-round in many locations and are pushing northward into new regions , thanks to climate change and other factors, there are still seasons when the risk is greater, and travelers might consider avoiding trips during those periods. Travel insurance with medical coverage may also be a useful precaution.

For medical professionals, this should be a warning. We need to start thinking about dengue as a possible diagnosis, not just a piece of textbook trivia. We should ask about recent travel when treating patients presenting with symptoms, especially symptoms not easily explained by other diagnoses.

Medical schools are gradually integrating climate change effects into curriculums . This is essential, since malaria, Lyme, West Nile and other insect-borne diseases are on the rise, as are other climate-change-exacerbated conditions like heat illness, asthma and allergies. This work must accelerate, and training must include those of us who are already practicing. State medical boards should consider mandating continuing education on tropical emerging illnesses, as they do on many other pertinent topics.

After receiving my positive test result, I called the emergency department to leave a message for my previous provider about my diagnosis, assuming she had never before seen dengue. If we continue on this trajectory, I’m certain this won’t be her last case.

Deborah Heaney is a preventive, occupational and environmental health physician practicing in Ann Arbor, Mich. She also holds a master’s degree in public health.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .