Tips for safe spring break travel
Being vaccinated shouldn’t make or break your travel, but it is a factor that every person must think about when weighing the risks and benefits of travel.
Mary Bridge Children’s infectious diseases physician, Mary Fairchok, MD, encourages parents and caregivers to be mindful before leaving town or going on vacation. While increasing percentages of eligible adults have been fully vaccinated, Dr. Fairchok reminds parents that aside from a handful of teens age 16 and older, kids are unvaccinated.
“We know that kids can get sick with the coronavirus infection, even though that is less common than with adults, and also that they definitely can transmit the COVID-19 infection to more vulnerable individuals such as elderly grandparents, so adults need to plan how to stay safe on vacations, even if the adults are immunized themselves,” Dr. Fairchok said.
Dr. Fairchok said the worst thing families can do over spring break is travel to a new geographical location and mingle with others outside of their immediate household, especially if unmasked.
“We need to be especially wary of the new more contagious variants that are spreading,” she said. “We’re at a critical threshold where we need to get more of the population vaccinated before these variants spread and cause a third wave of infection.”
In the following video, MultiCare infectious diseases specialist and epidemiologist, Mike Myint, MD, shares additional guidance for spring break travel.
