NL residents who got AstraZeneca vaccine may be unable to enter U.S.

It is still unclear whether Dutch and other EU citizens who were fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccines will be allowed to travel to the United States from November. A spokesperson for the European Commission said that it is waiting for details from the White House announcement that fully vaccinated residents of the EU and the United Kingdom will again be welcome for non-essential travel. AstraZeneca is not approved in the U.S., but is approved in the E.U. and U.K.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the immunologist and the Chief Medical Advisor to the U.S. President, does not expect any difficulties, according to British newspaper The Times. The U.S. is said to be on the verge of recognizing the AstraZeneca vaccine for foreign visits, despite it not being used for U.S. residents. "Given we have a substantial amount of information on the AZ vaccine ... I would predict it would not be a problem," Fauci said to the newspaper.

"We believe the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe," a European Commission spokesperson in Brussels said. "So from our point of view it makes sense that people vaccinated with AstraZeneca should be able to travel, but that decision is up to the U.S. authorities."

The U.S. kept the door closed for tourists and many others who do not have a U.S. passport or residence permit since the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic. There were some exceptions to the rule, such as immediate family members. On Monday, Washington announced it would relax rules for vaccinated Europeans and Britons, but it is still unclear which vaccines will be allowed.