If you like to travel (for leisure)

[Ginevra]

When do you project feeling comfortable to travel within:

a) your region?

b) your country?

c) across national borders?

d) across oceans to other continents? 

I don’t expect to travel domestically in 2021 (beyond the states that border my state).  Before Covid, dh and I were tentatively planning a trip to California with our friends. So now that is tabled. It was also my intention to go back to Europe in 2022, but I think now everything will be pushed back a year, so, domestic travel with friends, I hope in 2022; maybe another trip to Europe in 2023. 

 

[Katy]

After we're all vaccinated and have full immunity, however long that takes.

[hjffkj]

Well I just booked a camping trip in a beautiful state park in lower delaware for July so I guess then for local trips.  It'll only be camping, hiking, canoeing, and such with family.  I can't wait!

Anywhere else,  no idea. 

[rebcoola]

We've gone camping this year in our trailer.   

I'm planning to take my kids to go stay with my best friends in June.  We will quarantine before we go and pod with them for at least a month. 

That will be it until we are all vaccinated.

[regentrude]

Doesn't this depend more on the mode of travel rather than on the location? There's a big difference between backpacking in the wilderness and staying at a resort.

I have always felt comfortable traveling within the region and have done so all year. We did 62 day hikes in the region and three short overnight backpacks in a neighboring state. None of these involve any interaction with people. 

I have traveled 1,400 miles away for a backpacking trip this summer. It involved driving 16 hours to a reserved camp site, and then driving to the wilderness the next day. The only interaction with civilization were bathroom stops on the long drive, and takeout on the drive home. Much less risk of exposure than going to work.

I will not, for the forseeable future, feel comfortable with air travel, let alone travel overseas. It takes three plane rides, four airports, and 23 hours for me to get home. Only once I am vaccinated and it is sure that vaccination also prevents transmission, not just illness in the vaccinated person.

Edited January 1, 2021 by regentrude

[Ausmumof3]

I’m comfy with travel anywhere in my state but border crossings is a bit risky here in that you could have to do a quarantine coming home if the situation suddenly changes.  Would do it for emergency but not for leisure till we get a vaccine rollout.  Overseas travel is off the cards right now.

Edited January 1, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[1234]

We’ve planned a trip for October 2021. It involves an overnight train ride and two weeks driving through Colorado and Utah.

We’ve decided to be optimistic that we will feel comfortable then. I’ve been booking hotels and such (and several places were already sold out for the original dates I choose). I think we’ll go on the trip in some manner because part of it is to see my in laws. They are both in their 80s and we’ve already gone a while without seeing them. I don’t see us waiting another entire year at all.

ETA: I could see us canceling the train ride and driving the whole way ourselves if things aren’t much better by then. I do think we’ll do most of the trip as our plans are mostly outdoors and I’m not uncomfortable in hotels even now.

Edited January 1, 2021 by Joker2

[KungFuPanda]

We’re playing the long game and holing up at home until it’s safe again. To us this means we can move about locally without masks without risking infection. It’s gonna be a minute. I can’t even drive to see family because I don’t trust them to quarantine. A lot of them believe the whole world is exaggerating to ruin their personal fun. Some think it’s a political ploy.  

[popmom]

We have stayed in a vacation rental during the pandemic. I actually brought a Thetford Porti Potty and a pop up privacy tent so we didn't have to use public restrooms on the drive. I won't go to the trouble next time. 

We have a tent camping trip planned for spring break at a state park.

I think I'd be comfortable with air travel once I'm vaccinated. But I haven't been on an airplane in forever, so I'm not missing out on anything. 

eta We were hoping to do a cross country trip in May, but we are putting that off indefinitely. It would involve hotels. Again--once we get vaccinated, I'll start planning that trip again.

Edited January 1, 2021 by popmom

[Just Kate]

I’m tentatively planning a beach vacation for the summer. We would drive, which makes me feel a bit better about it. I am making sure any deposits we make are refundable as we get closer, however I’m trying to be optimistic that by summer things may have improved. 

[Gobblygook]

We spend a week each summer at a lake with extended family. I’ve already booked our lodging. The cancellation policy is pretty liberal so while I’m pretty sure we will be able to go, it’s good to know that I can cancel if we need to. 

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, Katy said:

After we're all vaccinated and have full immunity, however long that takes.

Yeah I think this is as close as I can say.  So many things are up in the air, I can't say when I would feel comfy with any of it.  We didn't vacation at all this year. I couldn't bring myself to do an airbnb when things about surfaces and what if the prior person there had it.  As my kids are all younger than 16, I don't know when they will be able to get the vaccine.  I really hope to go some where localish or rent an rv this summer.  

[YaelAldrich]

My DH who before this traveled 1-2 weeks a month said today he thinks he'll be back traveling November 2021. He hopes it will be sooner because he's planned a summer school class on the road for July. But he's not banking on it.

[Carol in Cal.]

We went to Tahoe for 10 days early this month.  (It was supposed to be a week, but we got snowed in.)

Pretty much that is the only place I would go right now—it’s in cruising range, we know of lots of things to do outside away from people, and the place we stay is comfortable and pretty enough to be willing to stay inside if there are too many crowds to go outside.  We skipped our usual area shopping jaunts, and we didn’t eat out at all, although we got take out twice.  We stayed quite isolated and cooked in the condo and had a lovely time.  

That’s the extent of it.  I’m not willing to get on a plane at all right now.  And also, I don’t really want to go somewhere new and not be able to sightsee—what an eat your heart out experience that would be! So I’m not even planning anything.

BUT—I just got a save the date card for a dear nephew, who is getting married in April.  I wouldn’t even consider travelling and attending something like this for any other reason.  It’s either two planes or a very long drive to and from, and I imagine that there will be an unhealthy mix of people there.  I really, really have been avoiding anything like this, but this particular one might tip me over the edge.  We’ll see.

On my list for sometime:

Taos

The Pueblos

Denmark

The Lake District in England

Northeastern German (have already been in the Frankfort/Mainz area, and am not all that interested in Oktoberfest country)

Interlacken

Banff

Lost Coast of California

Maui or back to Kauai

The high high Sierra that you can’t really drive to (some of which I have figured out how to see in 2021)

Back to:

Solvang

Cambria

Hearst Castle

Redwood Highway

Bora Bora 

 

Edited January 1, 2021 by Carol in Cal.

[kokotg]

we have a travel trailer, too, and I think being able to travel with your own bathroom, kitchen, etc. makes the question a lot different. That said, we cancelled our planned long trip to Michigan over the summer and stuck with a few short trips in our state and within a day's drive and did only outside activities and takeout food. Hiking to waterfalls is lovely and all, but I got my fill. We're planning a long trip this summer...right now there are two versions of the itinerary: one for if the Canadian border is open and one for if it's not. I'm hopeful that the adults in our family at least will be vaccinated by then and that numbers will be down enough that we'll be comfortable doing some inside things even if there are some restrictions still (I'll still travel if I don't want to do inside restaurants or theaters/concerts, but probably not if we don't feel okay doing museums and tours of historic buildings, for example). I wouldn't be planning any overseas travel right now (but I wouldn't be anyway this year, pandemic or no), but it's possible I'd feel comfortable actually doing it by summer...it really just depends on how the vaccine rollout goes. 

ETA: my oldest is supposed to be going to Budapest for a study abroad program in spring of 2022...I really, really hope he gets to do that.

Edited January 1, 2021 by kokotg

[Corraleno]

I'm hoping that everyone in my immediate and extended family will have been vaccinated by late summer, and that I can combine visiting my elderly parents with taking DS back to college in August. If it's safe enough for national competitions in DS's sport to resume next fall, I would probably travel for those, too.  Not planning any international travel until 2022.

[Pam in CT]

I agree with @regentrude that it's the *mode* of travel that will matter first, rather than the destination.

We've been quite locked down, not going anywhere except in our self-contained and fully-provisioned-before-departure camper since March.

Once we're all vaccinated (and therefore comfortable doing bathroom breaks, going into stores to re-provision, going to selected restaurants) I'll be comfortable going anywhere in the US by car or self-captained boat.  But until there's better information about whether vaccinated people can still *transmit* we'll still avoid crowds: no movies, concerts, plays, Disney World, etc.

Which includes planes. Even after I'm vaccinated, I'm not getting on a plane until a) the US gets to 80+% vaccination rate, b) specific airlines credibly offer vaccinated-only flights, or c) the science really ends up demonstrated that vaccinated people are not transmitting.

 

International travel is not going to depend merely on our willingness to GO.  It is very likely that foreign nations will restrict whether or not we are ALLOWED in.  It's very likely that many countries will require proof of vaccination will be as a condition of entry, particularly if -- as seems likely -- the rollout of the vaccine proceeds at different paces in different places.

 

My mother expects to be vaccinated in February.  I'm hoping the rest of us can be by end-summer.

[athena1277]

We are ok with road trips.  We went on 1 on September and another in October, then more travel when my fil passed away in November.As the hospitalization numbers have gone up in the last month I have become more concerned about traveling, but would still do it depending on the circumstances.  I am concerned though that dh is supposed to fly to CA for work in a few weeks.  I’m hoping it gets canceled or postponed.

[Farrar]

I already feel fine traveling within my region assuming that we camp or stay at a rented house and visit outdoor things. We have done that a little bit with a couple of short trips with Airbnbs. I don't anticipate that will change significantly. Sometimes state by state travel restrictions make it harder to plan.

I am tentatively guessing that I'll feel okay about travel within the US by summer - unless something unforeseen happens, by the end of summer at the latest and possibly by the end of spring. All the experts seem to be saying that if you want to be vaccinated, you'll be able to be by June or July and possibly sooner. Assuming that's coupled with summer lower numbers anyway, then I assume masks will still be around, but things will be loosening and travel will be an option within the US. If I have the vaccine and numbers are low and vaccine rates are climbing, I'd feel safe traveling within reason.

I assume that I'll feel safe going to a lot of international locations around the same time... I don't know when restrictions will begin to lift and things will become more feasible though. I'm thinking that may take longer... and I wouldn't even know how to predict it.

[Sneezyone]

When do you project feeling comfortable to travel within:

a) your region?

I am willing to travel by car for activities with a handful of other ppl. now—ppl. Who work from and largely stay home. 

b) your country?

We will probably do a road trip on late summer 2021 to tour some colleges and see DH. No flying. My DH will have to relocate to another state a month after returning from a lengthy deployment so the kids and I will drive down to see him.

c) across national borders?

2022.

d) across oceans to other continents? 

Same as above. We may be moving back overseas in 2022 on orders.

Edited January 1, 2021 by Sneezyone

[lewelma]

We are good to travel in our country as we are covid free, in fact we are leaving for scuba diving and caving next week. But overseas, no.

My older ds, however, still travels internationally. He came back here mid November, and returns to university mid Feb.  When he returns to the USA, he will be in covid-free airplanes until he lands in CA. Then he gets to sit outside for his 10 hour layover, and then he has a 5 hour midnight flight to Boston. We are hopeful few people fly midnight to 5am. He will wear an N95 + goggles, and not eat or drink. Crossing fingers for his safe return to his flat of 5. His exposure will be a total of about 7 hours so I'm not sure if they will try to quarantine him in the flat.  

Edited January 1, 2021 by lewelma

[Guest]

Quote

International travel is not going to depend merely on our willingness to GO.  It is very likely that foreign nations will restrict whether or not we are ALLOWED in.  It's very likely that many countries will require proof of vaccination will be as a condition of entry, particularly if -- as seems likely -- the rollout of the vaccine proceeds at different paces in different places

Right; I see that as plain. For myself personally, being allowed to do something has never meant I will do it (i.e., indoor dining - I have not done that since February). 

I’m with you on hoping there will be flights for exclusively vaccinated travelers. I’m expecting there to either be something you get on your passport that designates you as vaxed, or else a separate health card that does the same. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, lewelma said:

We are good to travel in our country as we are covid free, in fact we are leaving for scuba diving and caving next week. But overseas, no.

My older ds, however, still travels internationally. He came back here mid November, and returns to university mid Feb.  When he returns to the USA, he will be in covid-free airplanes until he lands in CA. Then he gets to sit outside for his 10 hour layover, and then he has a 5 hour midnight flight to Boston. We are hopeful few people fly midnight to 5am. He will wear an N95 + goggles, and not eat or drink. Crossing fingers for his safe return to his flat of 5. His exposure will be a total of about 7 hours so I'm not sure if they will try to quarantine him in the flat.  

Wow, best wishes to him; that will be quite a journey. What was the protocol for him to enter your country from the US?

[MEmama]

I’ll stay home in my basement if I have to, if it means I can travel with DS when he goes to university overseas in the fall. 

[Momto6inIN]

We've camped twice this year and leave Monday for a vacation rental near the beach. We don't eat at restaurants and cook our own food and do outdoor things. The beach is a long drive from Indiana, but we opted to rent a larger vehicle to make the drive more comfortable rather than to fly. Not sure when I'd be ready for an airport or for international travel. I'd be concerned about getting back in the country if the situation either here or there changed rapidly while I was gone.

[alpacawalker]

We have started to go out to places where we can be outdoors with much space between us and people.  We went for 2 days this month to an airbnb where we had no interaction with people except for the host outside and distanced at checkin.  I cleaned down all surfaces and washed all dishes and pans when we checked in, and we brought our own food.  We hiked with masks ready when needed at two local places there.  We have stayed at places that are individual homes or cabins and feel that it allows us to stay isolated without people interaction and gets us out of our own house.  We also will drive an hour or so to find new hiking trails.  We always carry a mask, but have found most people are willing to step off the trail or we do to keep the distance.  None of the places have been busy either so that makes it easier.  We are planning on longer trips in late spring/early summer taking the same precautions.  Renting an RV is another option we are considering.  Campgrounds may be doable with a trailer or RV, but we have a tent, and it gets into the 30s at night here.  For us, international travel will probably not be till 2022.  

[purpleowl]

We are traveling within our state next week. Part of it is necessary for an out-of-town medical appointment. But then we are going a little further and staying at the beach for a couple of nights. We have outdoor activities planned, and the weather should cooperate, but if not, we'll play board games and stare at a different set of walls.

DH and I have booked a cruise for February 2022. If we don't feel it's safe by then, we won't go. But we needed to book something to use the credit we got when our September cruise was canceled. We did opt for one where we can drive to the port instead of needing to fly (not the same location as our canceled one).

[Penguin]

It all depends on the vaccine rollout here and within the EU. I have not seen my overseas kiddo in a year and really hope we don’t have to hit the two year mark. 

Edited January 1, 2021 by Penguin

[lmrich]

This has been something my dh and I have been discussing a lot. 

No clue! 

[J-rap]

If I felt comfortable enough traveling safely, I'd be okay with going somewhere else in our country and doing there what we're doing here: basically staying home or taking walks.  So, staying in an airbnb or cabin type situation for a month is something I'd consider.  (Especially given that we're in winter now, and a warm climate and non-icy landscape would be so much easier for my dh!)  It would also depend on the environment of that community of course.  (Are they being careful?  Do they follow basic safety procedures like masking and social distancing?)

But, I'm not comfortable traveling yet, especially with this new strain popping up.

It will be awhile before I'd travel internationally.  Everything keeps changing ~ case numbers, restrictions, lockdowns, etc.  And what if we require medical assistance when off in another country?   So I think for international travel, I'd want to wait until vaccinations and herd immunity were in place.  

Out of curiosity, are there reports of cases being linked to airplane travel?  (People getting Covid from other people while in the airplane?)

 

[J-rap]

54 minutes ago, Penguin said:

It all depends on the vaccine rollout here and within the EU. I have not seen my overseas kiddo in a year and really hope we don’t have to hit the two year mark. 

This is our situation with our dd as well.  😞 

[Penguin]

5 minutes ago, J-rap said:

This is our situation with our dd as well.  😞 

We can hug each other.

ETA When I finally get to the EU I’m gonna stay my full 90 days!

Edited January 1, 2021 by Penguin

[J-rap]

2 minutes ago, Penguin said:

We can hug each other.

ETA When I finally get to the EU I’m gonna stay my full 90 days!

That sounds like a terrific idea!!

[PeterPan]

Our rates are higher than anywhere else I'd go. I have interstate travel planned and have traveled interstate and have no qualms. I'm even going to fly, shocking. If I stay home, I know I'll have issues from lack of sun over the winter. If I go, I might get sick. We all choose our tradeoffs. I'm trading what I KNOW will happen for what MIGHT. 

As for more involved travel and high exposures like cruising, I won't do that till there's a vaccine out. I have asthma and that's just a lot of congestion. But it doesn't look like the cruise lines are going to be going till vaccines are more available anyway, so it doesn't matter.

2 hours ago, Quill said:

I’m with you on hoping there will be flights for exclusively vaccinated travelers. I’m expecting there to either be something you get on your passport that designates you as vaxed, or else a separate health card that does the same. 

I'm reading that in our state 60% of the health care workers are REFUSING THE VACCINE. I don't think there's going to be public support for policies like that.

[wintermom]

At this point in time, travelling for leisure is technically easier than my dh's travel for work and our international move to the US. Strange but true, as long as we fly across the border and not drive. Of course, we won't be doing any travel to the US or anywhere else anytime soon. Our local numbers are pretty high and we are in lockdown. 

About the most 'travel' I can do is to local parks to hike, skate, ski or snowshoe. That will have to do. 

It's hard to make a projection as to when we will be able to travel and/or move. Maybe 2022? That would be nice. I have this funny feeling that distributing vaccines is not going to be smooth and quick. 

Sorry to be a downer. I'm so thankful to be healthy and to be able to access some beautiful outdoor areas. It's draining to live for months and potentially years in a state of uncertainty.

[Pawz4me]

Right now we're not planning on doing any overnight/extended traveling in 2021. Partly due to DH's health and partly due to the virus. We're thinking the virus situation will still be bad enough throughout 2021 that spending our travel budget on "want to" projects around the house will bring us much more enjoyment than constrained travel would. I guess it depends a lot on what things one enjoys doing, though. We enjoy walking/hiking and taking in scenery, but we can do those things in half day or day trips, and we wouldn't want to be limited to just those things on a longer trip. If we can't visit museums and other attractions, shops and restaurants and feel safe and relaxed . . we're thinking we'd rather stay home. My guess (hope) is that by spring 2022 things will be back to some semblance of normal.

[SKL]

I'm really not in the planning phase right now.  Too much remains uncertain.  I would like to think travel can resume sometime in 2021, but I'm not buying any tickets right now!

My views:

• I would be fine with a road trip now, to the extent possible without quarantine restrictions.  Like, are my kids going to be prevented from doing their school stuff if we travel to the next state over?  (That was a restriction during marching band.)  Since I live where it's cold and nasty until at least March/April, I have no road trip plans on the horizon anyway.
• Air travel - for any long trip, I don't want to go until they do away with the masking requirement.  Sitting wearing a mask for many hours is not my idea of a good time.  (Planes are uncomfortable enough as it is.  Breathing is about the only thing you can freely do, and now, not even that.)  No guess as to when that will be "back to normal."
• Cruise - I think I'd be fine with that, as long as it didn't involve quarantines before or after.  And as with planes - no long masking.  But at least on a boat, you can breathe in your room or (hopefully) distance on deck without a mask.

I'm sad that travel is gone from our lives for now.  Our last international trip [other than Niagara Falls Canada] was to Dubai & Abu Dhabi in April 2019.  Our last interstate trip was to Chicago in October 2019.  We took a break over Christmas 2019-20 because we'd done so much travel over the previous year.  Who knew the break would last so long?

My kids' marching band does have a trip booked to Disney World, I think in April.  I heard they are going to drive down on a bus?  I heard some tour buses have been equipped with some kind of disinfecting technology ... my kid said maybe they will rent one of those.  Who knows?  I do hope they can go.  I've already paid ... and bought travel insurance ....

[SKL]

I might get inspired (and inspire my housemates) to buy a small camper.  Wouldn't that be fun?

I am super blessed that there are many beautiful things to see right where I live.  This past year I've been discovering hidden treasures in the nearby national parks.  Now if only my kids didn't "hate" hiking and camping ....

[lewelma]

6 hours ago, Quill said:

Wow, best wishes to him; that will be quite a journey. What was the protocol for him to enter your country from the US?

NZ requires a 14 day stay in a military run quarantine facility. To be allowed to leave, you must return 2 negative covid tests on day 3 and day 12. He spent his last two weeks of classes in that room, and was was back home just in time to be able to take his final exams in his bedroom on the 17th and 20th of December. His school has delayed the start of spring term so those 2 weeks in the Auckland facility gives him 8 weeks of fun in the summer in a covid free country. We decided it was worth it. We already owned the plane ticket which we purchased in February, but then had to pay $3100 for the quarantine because he was coming back for a holiday and not to live. 

Edited January 1, 2021 by lewelma

[Farrar]

3 hours ago, J-rap said:

Out of curiosity, are there reports of cases being linked to airplane travel?  (People getting Covid from other people while in the airplane?)

 

Yes, but not that many overall. Some of this may be a contact tracing failure as we know thousands have been potentially exposed on flights, but very few cases have been directly linked. Whether that's because the regulations have made it pretty safe or because the contact tracing is so poor in most states... well, depends on who you ask.

[regentrude]

4 minutes ago, lewelma said:

NZ requires a 14 week stay in a military run quarantine facility. 

You mean 14 days or two weeks,  right?

Edited January 1, 2021 by regentrude

[lewelma]

14 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

International travel is not going to depend merely on our willingness to GO.  It is very likely that foreign nations will restrict whether or not we are ALLOWED in.  It's very likely that many countries will require proof of vaccination will be as a condition of entry,

NZ has announced it will keep the borders closed throughout ALL of 2021. So only citizens and permanent resident visa holders are allowed back in. In addition, they are in discussion as to whether having a vaccine will change the quarantine requirements.  The vaccination is not 100% effective, and this country is 100% covid free, so proof of vaccination will likely not be enough to get in.

[lewelma]

3 minutes ago, regentrude said:

You mean 14 days or two weeks,  right?

14 full days to the hour to be allowed out. There are both military personnel and police on sight (and we have had a few obscondees including one that escaped out a 4th story window by tying bed sheets together). If you test positive, then you must stay 2 days past your first negative test. If you refuse to be tested, your say is 4 weeks I think. 

[regentrude]

1 minute ago, lewelma said:

14 full days to the hour to be allowed out. There are both military personnel and police on sight (and we have had a few obscondees including one that escaped out a 4th story window by tying bed sheets together). If you test positive, then you must stay 2 days past your first negative test. If you refuse to be tested, your say is 4 weeks I think. 

Yes - you had written 14 WEEKS.  That would be insane 🙂

[lewelma]

4 hours ago, J-rap said:

Out of curiosity, are there reports of cases being linked to airplane travel?  (People getting Covid from other people while in the airplane?)

NZ is genome testing every single case we get.  The answer is yes, but it is not super common. 

[Bootsie]

I am one who enjoys traveling--and was thinking earlier this week that this has probably been the longest consecutive number of nights I have slept in the same bed in my life.  I don't find camping to be a vacation, it's an ordeal to me.  I am also not a desert person, so driving west from where I am in Texas is not a very appealing thought.  

There are things like driving to a beach house rental that I would not be overly concerned about as far as the risk of contracting COVID being higher than if I am at home.  My concern would be IF I, or some member of my family did get sick, would I be reasonably able to access medical care.  

Access to good medical care will be main criteria for traveling in the near future.  Several other things I will consider spread in my local area and the destination area, the availability and effectiveness of a vaccine, quarantine requirements, the risk of major disruptions to plans as government mandates change, and whether the things I would enjoy doing (going to a local cafe, a museum, etc.) are open.  I am watching closely because DD should be returning to Europe in February for her graduate studies.  

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, SKL said:

Air travel - for any long trip, I don't want to go until they do away with the masking requirement.  Sitting wearing a mask for many hours is not my idea of a good time. 

Oh my, then you're looking at fall. The CDC is saying November before they *might* toss testing requirements for cruising. That's a pretty good hint at where this is going best case scenario. 

I'm not a masking fan either, but I'll just take a nap and try to stay calm. As long as I don't do stairs or anything, I can be ok. I did the stairs at the library and that was AWFUL. There was no one around, and I was yanking it off just needing to breathe, mercy. Ds will be fine because he'll stream videos. I'm thinking our flight for our next trip will be 2 hours. Southwest is saying we still might have middle seats open, that they'll notify us if it's *not* open middle seats. I thought that had ended in November but I guess not.

5 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

Access to good medical care will be main criteria for traveling in the near future. 

ABSOLUTELY!! My mom was pointing out to me that seniors are going to be seriously limited (unable to go out of the country to cruise, do Europe, whatever) till they feel very confident both that they can get care *and* that the travel insurance will pay for it.

[lewelma]

I'm reading only 60% of Americans are currently willing to be vaccinated.  That is not enough for herd immunity. So if you get the vaccine, and it is 90% effective and there is no herd immunity, you still have a decent amount of risk if you are in a high risk group.  I'm thinking of my poor MIL who is 90, is very healthy and social, and is currently living all alone in her home. How will she evaluate the risk once she is vaccinated? If there is not herd immunity, her risk to go to out even when vaccinated will be much higher than now when she is unvaccinated but not going out. These will be very difficult decisions. Herd immunity is key and there will need to be some serious public health messaging to change the current attitude in the USA.

[Bootsie]

DH's uncle who is 91 just called.  He is wanting to plan a trip to Wisconsin this summer with DH to show DH where he (and DH's father who is deceased) grew up.  He is lonely and saying that he would rather travel and do things while he can.  

[mathnerd]

It is going to be a long time until I can do it comfortably.