THE United States is set to ease the travel ban from the United Kingdom and Europe for vaccinated passengers.
The White House is set to announce a new travel policy on Monday morning – 18 months after Former President Donald Trump imposed the halt.
Fully vaccinated passengers will reportedly be able to travel once the ban is lifted, three people with information told the Financial Times.
Currently, only American citizens and their immediate families, alongside those who have green cards and national interest exemptions have been allowed to travel between the countries.
As of last month, the United States remained on Britain’s “amber” travel list, meaning that fully vaccinated adults arriving from the US to the UK don’t have to self-isolate.
A negative COVID-19 test within three days before arriving in the UK is required and another negative test is needed two days after arriving.
There have been called from the bloc for the United States to reopen its own borders to EU tourists.
Adalbert Jahnz, the European Commission spokesperson for home affairs, said weeks ago that the EU’s executive arm remained in discussions with the Biden administration but so far both sides have failed to find a reciprocal approach.
The White House announcement is set to come on the day that Pfizer said it’s vaccine works for children aged five to 11.
The drug company added that it will seek US authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.
The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older. But with kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger children.
For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose — a third of the amount that’s in each shot given now.
Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting the regular-strength shots, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press.
The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects — such as sore arms, fever or achiness — that teens experience, he said.
“I think we really hit the sweet spot,” said Gruber, who’s also a pediatrician.
Gruber said the companies aim to apply to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month for emergency use in this age group, followed shortly afterward with applications to European and British regulators.
