vaccine booster question

[utschigk]

I am traveling to  Barcelona Spain from US to do a B to B. ( first  7 days Western Mediterranean  (Barcelona back to Barcelona) following  up with 14 day transatlantic Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale) My question is do I need to have a Booster vaccine to enter Spain?  to Board a cruise?  Even if only one day prior to departing?  I am vaccinated ( 2 doses) but it has been longer than 270 days since last dose. 

[Pattycruise]

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/do-i-need-a-covid-vaccine-to-cruise-what-counts-as-proof#barcelona

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/if-i-am-not-up-to-date-on-vaccinations-in-europe-where-will-i-need-additional-testing

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/will-i-have-to-take-a-test-before-i-cruise

 

 

[ChessE4]

13 hours ago, utschigk said:

I am traveling to  Barcelona Spain from US to do a B to B. ( first  7 days Western Mediterranean  (Barcelona back to Barcelona) following  up with 14 day transatlantic Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale) My question is do I need to have a Booster vaccine to enter Spain?  to Board a cruise?  Even if only one day prior to departing?  I am vaccinated ( 2 doses) but it has been longer than 270 days since last dose. 

Regardless of the requirement when you sail, boosters are recommended unless your primary care physician gives you other advice.  I would worry more about my personal health risk.  Our Barcelona sailing isn't until October, and entrance requirements could change by then.  To some extent, you are dealing with a moving target.  We are actually hoping an Omicron-based vaccine will be available before we travel.  The variants are always a challenge for travelers.  Have a great cruise!

[smokeybandit]

35 minutes ago, ChessE4 said:

We are actually hoping an Omicron-based vaccine will be available before we travel. 

One caveat to that wish. The next booster will be outdated before it even hits the market:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not require companies to submit clinical trial data on COVID-19 vaccines modified to protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 versions of Omicron in order to authorize those shots, a top FDA official said on Thursday.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/fda-will-not-require-clinical-trial-data-authorize-redesigned-covid-boosters-2022-06-30/

[FionaMG]

13 hours ago, utschigk said:

I am traveling to  Barcelona Spain from US to do a B to B. ( first  7 days Western Mediterranean  (Barcelona back to Barcelona) following  up with 14 day transatlantic Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale) My question is do I need to have a Booster vaccine to enter Spain?  to Board a cruise?  Even if only one day prior to departing?  I am vaccinated ( 2 doses) but it has been longer than 270 days since last dose. 

The thing is, it's not just Spain you need to worry about. That 7 night western Med route hits Italy and France too, so you need to take their rules into account as well, plus any additional countries that your TA stops in.

Europe is a mish-mash of different rules and regulations so if you possibly can get the booster it's likely to make your journey a lot smoother. 

[ChessE4]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

One caveat to that wish. The next booster will be outdated before it even hits the market:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not require companies to submit clinical trial data on COVID-19 vaccines modified to protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 versions of Omicron in order to authorize those shots, a top FDA official said on Thursday.thin

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/fda-will-not-require-clinical-trial-data-authorize-redesigned-covid-boosters-2022-06-30/

Yes, but the new proposed vaccine is not really outdated.  That is, there is underlying benefit to having the booster -- it should reduce severity if not occurrence of the disease.  Moreover, it seems silly to go through life not trying to improve your immune system just because available vaccines aren't perfect and diseases are constantly evolving.  We need to do something positive to protect ourselves.  I was simply trying to point out that the OP should consider health first and country 'requirements" second.  It's not required to wear a mask on the cruise ship, but wearing a mask in the elevator is clearly a smart thing to do.  Ditto on crowded excursion buses.  A lot of travelers aren't helping themselves, which is their choice, but worthy of comment. By taking care of ourselves, we are also taking care of other travelers.

[smokeybandit]

With omicron so mild now to begin with, any new booster should focus on preventing it outright.  Otherwise in 6 months you have the same issue we have now with vaccines.

[JLMoran]

I was advised for my upcoming cruise (Greece, Montenegro, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar, France) that a booster is required if the last shot was more than 9 months prior to sail date. Not specific to any country, just general requirement. (presumably an EU-level thing)

[utschigk]

There are 4 of us going (3 boosted 1 vaccinated but doesn't want to get boosted  ) so I am trying to find out the actual requirements vs recommended, I have read the Spain embassy  requirements which says (if i am reading them correctly) state if not fully vaccinated- the 270 day rule- a negative NAAT or RAT covid test within 72 hours prior to departure to Spain. or RAT test within 24 hours prior.  But the Royal Caribbean rule says  "each guest's regimen must include at least two doses of vaccine" "for the best European cruise experience, we strongly recommend guests be "up to date" on their COVID-19 vaccines and be prepared to present their physical vaccination record showing all doses, including their original vaccination series, as well as any booster doses they may have received if applicable. it further states: Guests who do not meet these two requirements (the 270 rule and must be EMA approved vaccines) will need to take a test onboard before visiting some ports of call : Belgium,estonia,france,finland,greece,lithuania,malta,portugal

So I read this as she is able to fly to Spain as long as she tests before arrival and she can board ship but certain ports she may have to test before going into port..is this your understanding???

Spain Embassy site has mixed messages

 

 

 

 

 

[utschigk]

FOR CRUISES DEPARTING FROM EUROPE (NOT INCLUDING ITALY)

All Royal Caribbean guests age 12 and older (18 and older if your cruise departs from Stockholm) must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing.  

Each guest's regimen must include at least two doses of vaccine unless the guest received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. No exceptions will be made, even if the guest's resident country has authorized a single-shot regimen for a two dose vaccine. 

For the best European cruise experience, we strongly recommend guests be “up to date” on their COVID-19 vaccination and be prepared to present their physical vaccination record showing all doses, including their original vaccination series, as well as any booster doses they may have received if applicable.  

To be considered up to date by all European countries we sail to, your vaccination must meet both of the following requirements.  

1. You received your final dose in your original two-dose vaccine series (or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson) no more than 9 months (270 days) ago, or a booster dose. Guests that have received a booster dose will qualify regardless of the amount of time that has passed since receiving their booster. Children who have received one dose (unless Johnson & Johnson) do not count as fully vaccinated.
   
2. Your most recent vaccine dose is on the list of EMA-approved vaccines:  
   • Pfizer 
   • Moderna 
   • Johnson & Johnson 
   • Astrazeneca 
   • Nuvaxovid 

 Guests who do not meet these two requirements will need to take a test onboard before visiting some ports of call. 

Royal Caribbean also accepts additional vaccines authorized by the World Health Organization: Sinopharm, Sinovac, COVAXIN, Covovax and CoviShield. Guests may board the ship if vaccinated with these, but certain European countries will not recognize these guests as vaccinated, and they will need to take a test onboard before visiting some ports of call. To learn more, visit our Europe Testing Requirements FAQ.

These rules apply to all guests 12 and up in all countries. 

Children age 11 or younger do not require COVID-19 vaccination to cruise. However, kids 11 or younger who have been vaccinated may present proof of full vaccination and follow the protocols for vaccinated guests.  

Royal Caribbean will not accept a Certificate of Recovery in lieu of vaccination for guests of vaccine eligible age. 

All crew onboard the ship and at our private destinations are fully vaccinated and receive a booster dose as they become eligible.  

Certificate of Recovery Instead of a Booster Dose 

A Certificate of Recovery for a positive COVID-19 case may be provided along with proof of vaccination in lieu of a booster to be considered up to date by Spain, Italy, the U.K. and the Netherlands, if it meets certain requirements. The following two documents must be presented:

1. A certified medical health certificate from a doctor stating that you have fully recovered from COVID-19. It must meet the following requirements:
   • Official letterhead from a healthcare provider, public health official or telehealth provider showing: 
     • Their name 
     • Their address
     • Their phone number 
     • Confirmation of your recovery and completion of isolation 
   • Must be typed (not handwritten) and signed by the provider
   • Must confirm the sample collection date of the positive PCR test, which must be a minimum of 11 days and a maximum of 180 days before the departure date of your cruise 
   
   
2. A positive result document for a COVID-19 PCR test taken a minimum of 11 days and a maximum of 180 days before the departure date of your cruise. An antigen test result will not be accepted with a Certificate of Recovery. The test results document from your test provider must include the name of the lab that processed the test, the lab's CLIA Lab Number or Certification Number, the address of the lab, your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your positive result. This can be a printed document, email, or telehealth app notification. Fully handwritten doctor's notes (such as those written on a prescription pad) will not be accepted. Minimal handwritten components (such as a check mark on a "positive" box) are acceptable as long as the other required information is printed on the document.