Quebec has become the first Canadian province to step up for Canadian travellers stranded at home due to their ‘mixed’ vaccination status.
As Open Jaw has reported, many Canadians who thought they were doing the right thing by following government advice to get the first shots available to them are finding themselves shut out of travel.
A number of destinations, as well as cruise lines, are not accepting ‘mixed vaccines’ as full vaccination. They’ve told Open Jaw that they are following CDC guidelines that recognize two doses of any mRNA vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) as ‘fully vaccinated,’ but not a combination that includes Astra Zeneca.
As a solution, they say a traveller with a combination of Astra Zeneca and an mRNA vaccine may get a third shot, and with either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or a combination of the two, would be recognized as ‘fully vaccinated’.
Specifically, Negin Kamali, the Director, Public Relations at Princess Cruises told Open Jaw in an email that, “The US CDC will recognize the following as fully vaccinated:
- 1AZ + 2mRNA of same type
- 1AZ + 2mRNA (different types – one Pfizer, one Moderna)
- 2mRNA (different types)
- 2mRNA (same types)
“If guests have already received one single dose of a vector vaccine and one single dose of a mRNA vaccine, you may receive a 2nd dose of the mRNA vaccine and will then be considered fully vaccinated.”
It's important to note that vaccinations are not a requirement for entry into the U.S., which does permit air arrivals from Canada but still has its land border closed to non-essential travellers.
But America's CDC, despite legal wranglings, regulates health requirements for cruise ships in the country's waters. Some cruise lines have different vaccination requirements depending on whether you are sailing from a U.S. port. But others, no doubt for simplicity's sake, maintain a blanket vaccination protocol for any sailing globally, according to CDC standards.
In addition, many destinations - who may accept a 'mixed vaccination' of Astra Zeneca and an mRNA vaccine - have yet to recognize the Indian-made version of Astra Zeneca, so any traveller whose AZ vaccine is the COVISHIELD brand may also be disqualified.
Those recent developments have been disappointing to many Canadians who expected to be able to smoothly resume travel once they got ‘fully vaccinated.’
Quebec’s Health Department now says it’s making third doses available to people with travel plans.
It cautions a third shot is not yet proven to provide any additional protection, and that anyone considering a third shot should seek medical advice and consider risks.
The move has many travel-hungry Canadians hoping other provinces will follow Quebec's lead and offer 'make-up' mRNA vaccinations to those who got AZ as their first dose.
Let’s hope every province opens this option up as well.