Holiday Highlight

More than 1 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States over the last 7 days. Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year.

If you are considering traveling for Thanksgiving, here are some important questions to ask yourself and your loved ones beforehand. These questions can help you decide what is best for you and your family.

• Are you, someone in your household, or someone you will be visiting at increased risk for getting very sick from COVID-19?
• Are cases high or increasing in your community or your destination? Check CDC’s COVID Data Tracker for the latest number of cases.
• Are hospitals in your community or your destination overwhelmed with patients who have COVID-19? To find out, check state and local public health department websites.
• Does your home or destination have requirements or restrictions for travelers? Check state and local requirements before you travel.
• During the 14 days before your travel, have you or those you are visiting had close contact with people they don’t live with?
• Do your plans include traveling by bus, train, or air which might make staying 6 feet apart difficult?
• Are you traveling with people who don’t live with you?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” you should consider making other plans, such as hosting a virtual gathering or delaying your travel.

If you do travel:

• Know when to delay your travel.

• Check travel restrictions before you go.

• Get your flu shot before you travel.

• Always wear a mask in public settings, when using public transportation, and when around people who you don’t live with.

• Stay at least 6 feet apart from anyone who does not live with you.

• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching your mask, eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Bring extra supplies, such as masks and hand sanitizer.

Prepare for the holiday season—Get your flu vaccine!

Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever during 2020-2021 to protect yourself, your family, and your community from the flu. A flu vaccine this season can also help reduce the burden on our healthcare systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and save medical resources for care of patients with COVID-19. If you haven’t gotten your flu vaccine yet, get vaccinated now since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu.

NEW COVID-19 Travel Planner

Postponing travel is the safest way to avoid getting COVID-19, if you do need to travel then check the new COVID-19 Travel Planner before your trip. Some state, local, tribal, and territorial governments have restrictions, such as requiring people to wear masks and requiring travelers entering or returning to their areas to stay home for up to 14 days, Travel Planner can help you make informed decisions about travel in the United States.

Special Considerations for holidays

Do not participate in any in-person festivities if you or anyone in your household may have been exposed to COVID-19 within the last 14 days, have a positive viral test result or are waiting for a test result, have symptoms, or have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

If you are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, or live or work with someone at increased risk of severe illness, avoid in-person gatherings with people outside of your household and avoid any large gatherings.

For more information about holiday gatherings, visit CDC’s Holiday Celebrations page.

Travelers’ Health Update

Emergent BioSolutions announced it will temporarily stop production and distribution of oral vaccines against cholera (Vaxchora) and typhoid (Vivotif). The last distribution date will be December 17, 2020. For additional information contact customercare@ebsi.com.

The injectable typhoid vaccine (Typhim Vi) manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur remains available.

Please visit the Cholera and Typhoid Fever pages on the CDC Travelers’ Health website for updated information, prevention strategies, and vaccination options.

Travelers’ Health Quiz: Do you know the difference between quarantine and isolation? 

Watch the video to find out.

Looking for more information about Travelers’ Health? Visit our website and find CDC’s COVID-19 travel resources.