Question: My husband and I are travelling internationally later this month (Morocco vacation!).  His workplace (in New Jersey, for context) just told him that when he returns, he’ll have to quarantine for 14 days.  We’re both vaccinated and this work update was a surprise to us, especially since we’ll be using nearly all of our leave for this vacation (a vacation we’ve been planning for 2 years!). What are the guidelines for international travel among vaccinated folks?  Does his workplace quarantine stance align with current guidelines? 

Answer: Based on what you’ve described, your husband’s workplace is not aligned with current guidelines for international travel (Figure 1). CDC’s guidelines for international travel (most recently updated on August 25th) do NOT recommend quarantine among vaccinated individuals upon return from international travel.  Rather, CDC requires proof of a negative test no more than 3 days prior to arrival in the US, and recommends that: a) travelers get tested (viral test) 3-5 days after travel; b) travelers monitor themselves for symptoms, and isolate and test if they develop symptoms; and c) travelers follow state and local recommendations.  I checked New Jersey’s travel recommendations and NJ follows CDC’s guidelines, reminding us that “as of May 17, 2021, New Jersey’s travel advisory is no longer in effect.”

Figure 1. Guidelines for International Travel (from CDC)