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Is it safe to travel if you have taken the COVID-19 vaccine, and other questions answered

Vaccination is certainly not your ticket to freedom, says Mumbai-based physician Dr Vishakha Shivdasani

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These are grim times as we are all grappling with the realities of the second wave of the pandemic. Even as the vaccination drive amps up with more and more people taking the jab, it is important to remember that the protocols of masking up and social distancing must be maintained especially while travelling. Dr Vishakha Shivdasani, a Mumbai-based physician, spoke to Conde Nast Traveller and answered some of our pressing questions on travelling after getting both shots of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

Do you still need to wear a mask and maintain social distancing if you are travelling after taking two doses of the vaccine?

Yes, you absolutely need to wear a mask even after you have been vaccinated. Even after getting vaccinated, you can:

  1. Get reinfected
  2. Be an asymptomatic carrier and transfer the virus to somebody else 

In fact, I would go a step further and say, not only mask up but wear a double mask. Vaccination is certainly not your ticket to freedom.

Do you need to get an RT-PCR test done before travelling even after being vaccinated?

You absolutely need an RT-PCR test before travelling. Two shots of the vaccine does not mean that you cannot get the infection. It would be irresponsible to not do an RT-PCR test because even without symptoms, you can still have the infection and be an asymptomatic carrier, in which case you could potentially be a super spreader. Make no mistake: COVID-19 is out there and it is widespread and it is essential for everyone to do a RT-PCR test before travelling.  

Can you still be infected by the new variants in countries listed as red zones?

Yes, you absolutely can. The “vaccine escape”, means the virus can evade some of the neutralizing antibodies. This means that even after you have antibodies, whether through a previous COVID-19 infection or through the vaccines, you can yet get an infection again. 

Does a single dose of the vaccine offer any immunity?
The real protection can be truly seen about two weeks after the second dose. That said, if someone falls ill or contracts COVID after taking the first shot and cannot take the second one immediately, they can test the antibodies in about 4 to 5 weeks after the first shot. We have seen that even the first shot does largely offer some amount of protection. However, two weeks post the second jab is ideal for protection.

Should people over the age of 65 and those who are immunocompromised be travelling even if they have two doses of the vaccine?

Currently, given that we don’t know the status of the new mutations and that the virus seems to be mutating rather quickly, unless it’s absolutely urgent, immunocompromised people and those above 65 should not be travelling. It’s prudent to stay indoors and make sure you do whatever it takes to stay safe.

How safe is it to travel with people who have already got both shots?
Well, it’s definitely much safer for someone to travel two weeks after taking both the shots especially if they have checked their antibodies compared to somebody who’s not taken the vaccine. I’d like to reiterate that vaccination does not mean one will necessarily escape the infection.

How safe is it to travel in a group which has not been vaccinated?

I would definitely not recommend travelling in groups. And if you’re travelling in a group of people who are not vaccinated that’s that much worse. Also, please remember every time you take off your mask in the aircraft to eat food or to have a sip of water, you could well be exposing yourself to others who may have the infection. 

Adding to this, it is now proven that SARS-CoV-2 virus is not just a droplet infection but an aerosol infection. This means that the droplets of the virus could stay within a closed environment like an aircraft for 3 to 4 hours and don’t necessarily drop to the floor.

[The airline industry maintains that air on board aircraft is safe, courtesy the highly-efficient HEPA filters, which clear more than 99.9% of all germs and bacteria]

This is another reason why double masking is vital for protection as is a surgical mask. 

I am already double vaxxed. If I go abroad a few months later, and I have access, should I take another vaccine?

Chances are that we will need a booster dose of the vaccine. Whether we will need it in six months or in a year, we don’t know as yet. Also, in India we’ve so far got Covishield and Covaxin. The US and many European countries are using the mRNA vaccines which are manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna. As of now, we are advised not to mix different vaccines. So, if you go to the West and need to take a booster.. we don’t have clarity if we can take different vaccines yet. Only time will tell. 

Dr Vishakha Shivdasani’s latest book COVID and Post-COVID Recovery: DoctorVee’s 6-Point Plan published by Harper Collins is out on stands

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