In the initial stages of vaccination rollouts in the spring, some countries offered mixed doses of vaccines because of supply shortages. In Canada, at least 3.9 million people received two different shots and are now facing travel restrictions because many countries, including the U.S., only consider people with two identical doses fully vaccinated.
“For Canadians, I think a booster shot to match one of the first vaccines doses will be the likely get-out-of-jail card,” said Ms. Mills, who is Dutch Canadian.
The State of Vaccine Mandates in the U.S.
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- Vaccine rules. On Aug. 23, the F.D.A. granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and up, paving the way for mandates in both the public and private sectors. Such mandates are legally allowed and have been upheld in court challenges.
- College and universities. More than 400 colleges and universities are requiring students to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Almost all are in states that voted for President Biden.
- Schools. California became the first state to issue a vaccine mandate for all educators and to announce plans to add the Covid-19 vaccine as a requirement to attend school, which could start as early as next fall. Los Angeles already has a vaccine mandate for public school students 12 and older that begins Nov. 21. New York City’s mandate for teachers and staff, which went into effect Oct. 4 after delays due to legal challenges, appears to have prompted thousands of last-minute shots.
- Hospitals and medical centers. Many hospitals and major health systems are requiring employees to get vaccinated. Mandates for health care workers in California and New York State appear to have compelled thousands of holdouts to receive shots.
- Indoor activities. New York City requires workers and customers to show proof of at least one dose of the Covid-19 for indoor dining, gyms, entertainment and performances. Starting Nov. 4, Los Angeles will require most people to provide proof of full vaccination to enter a range of indoor businesses, including restaurants, gyms, museums, movie theaters and salons, in one of the nation’s strictest vaccine rules.
- At the federal level. On Sept. 9, President Biden announced a vaccine mandate for the vast majority of federal workers. This mandate will apply to employees of the executive branch, including the White House and all federal agencies and members of the armed services.
- In the private sector. Mr. Biden has mandated that all companies with more than 100 workers require vaccination or weekly testing, helping propel new corporate vaccination policies. Some companies, like United Airlines and Tyson Foods, had mandates in place before Mr. Biden’s announcement.
And where is your documentation?
Even after being permitted to enter a country, foreign visitors can face difficulties accessing establishments or services that require vaccine “passports” or certificates, like restaurants and museums, because of compatibility issues between types of verification software. On vacation in August, Jason Trenton, a 49-year-old music technician who got vaccinated in New York in April, was turned away from a restaurant in Paris because the hostess was unable to scan his Excelsior Pass, a mobile app issued by New York State.
In June, France launched its own app, called the Health Pass, which stores vaccine certificates and PCR test results and is required to access bars, restaurants, shopping centers, tourist sites and public transport. At the time of Mr. Trenton’s visit, the system was not available to U.S. citizens.
“Most places accept the C.D.C. paper vaccine card, but I didn’t want to carry it around with me because it’s so easy to lose,” Mr. Trenton said. “It’s all down to chance and you just have to hope that someone will accept your pass without scanning it. It worked in most places, but it’s stressful because you make reservations and plan your day but you don’t know if it will work out.”
In some countries like Switzerland, travelers who are not from the surrounding E.U. must apply for domestic vaccine certificates that are needed for indoor dining and cultural activities, but getting one can take up to seven days.
“It’s all very unnecessary and confusing,” said John Morris, 59, an English teacher who lives in Istanbul. He has decided not to go home until Britain recognizes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine he received in Turkey. “These rules are just prejudiced against developing countries. I got this very good vaccine under a very efficient health system in Turkey, and I will travel to wherever accepts it.”
