People traveling to and from the United States should know the importance of routine vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The public health agency recently updated its guidance for travelers on its website. According to the CDC, its guidelines are for all travelers, including U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. lawful permanent residents, immigrants and non-U.S. citizens who are not U.S. immigrants.

The agency stated that for everyone to stay protected from COVID-19 amid the pandemic, they should get up to date with their vaccines before traveling. Getting tested before departing and after arriving is strongly recommended, along with wearing masks in public transportation settings.

For non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. immigrants, they are obliged to show proof of full vaccination with the primary series of the COVID-19 vaccines used and accepted in the country before boarding a flight.

Apart from the COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC also highlighted the importance of routine vaccines for travelers on its website. According to the agency, these are vaccines recommended for everyone in the country, depending on age and vaccine history. Though many people think the term only refers to childhood vaccines, the CDC said some routine vaccines are for adolescents and adults.

It is imperative for people traveling to the U.S. to get up to date with their routine vaccines because vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, or chickenpox, are no longer common in the United States. Unvaccinated international travelers could increase their chances of getting and spreading such diseases when they head to the U.S.

The CDC listed the routine vaccines that international travelers need to have when flying to the U.S., and they include the following:

  • COVID-19
  • Chickenpox (Varicella)
  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
  • Influenza
  • Measles, mumps, Rubella
  • Meningococcal
  • Pneumococcal
  • Polio
  • Rotavirus
  • Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis
  • Shingles (Zoster)

“Make sure you are up-to-date on all of your routine vaccines. Routine vaccinations protect you from infectious diseases such as measles that can spread quickly in groups of unvaccinated people. Many diseases prevented by routine vaccination are not common in the United States but are still common in other countries,” the CDC said.

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