WHO: No COVID-19 Vaccination Document should be Required when Traveling

The World Health Organization's (WHO) Emergency Committee said proof of vaccination against COVID-19 should not be required for international travel, as this would limit global access due to the unfair distribution of vaccines.

The committee's statement said that despite the increased use of vaccines and therapeutic agents to combat COVID-19, the pandemic was far from over and remained a public health emergency of international importance (PHEIC).

The declaration was made after the ninth mandatory quarterly meeting of the committee on the COVID-19 pandemic since it began in early 2020.

PHEIC is the highest level of emergency medical care that the WHO can declare.

The Committee stated that "proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for international travel should not be required as the only option or condition allowing international travel, given the limited global access and uneven distribution of vaccines against COVID-19".

The document says states should consider a risk-based approach to facilitate international travel by repealing or modifying measures such as testing and quarantine requirements, where appropriate, following WHO guidelines, the Anatolian Agency said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Gebrejesus said the COVID-19 pandemic continued to represent PHEIC and accepted the committee's advice.

The Committee also expressed concern about the challenges facing the African region in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These include access to sufficient vaccines, diagnostic and therapeutic agents, and the collection, analysis, and reporting of epidemiological and qualitative laboratory data, including genomic sequencing data, needed to monitor the development of the COVID-19...