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Families are longing for a sense of normal, but traveling and gathering for the holidays can be complicated with the Omicron COVID-19 variant spreading. Even with more people getting COVID-19 vaccines and new recommendations regarding booster shots for those 16 and older, there are still young children under the age of 5 who can’t yet be vaccinated.

Nivedita More, MD, a Stanford Children’s Health pediatrician, advises against any nonessential travel, especially for children who aren’t vaccinated.

“Even if these children are masked, if they’re unvaccinated, there is still that risk that they can get infected during transit, during travel, when they land,” Dr. More says. “All those risks are still present.”

But, if you decide to travel, there are some things you can do to lower your risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends COVID-19 vaccination as it is safe and effective in reducing risk and spread of infection. So, Dr. More says to make sure everyone in your family and the people you’re visiting are vaccinated if they can be. And don’t forget about other seasonal vaccines, like the flu shot.

“We are in the middle of cold and flu season now,” she adds. “Whatever vaccines your child can get to protect against diseases, they should get them before you even travel.”

If anyone is symptomatic in your family or the people you’re visiting, Dr. More says to cancel the trip to be safe. She also points her patients to the CDC’s website to check what the COVID-19 community spread rate looks like at their destination to better assess risk.

To limit contact with the public, Dr. More encourages people to travel by car, especially if your child is too young to be vaccinated. When taking breaks at a gas station or rest stop, don’t forget to wear masks, use hand sanitizer, and keep your distance from others. You can also pack your own snacks.

If you do fly, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests taking direct flights so you don’t need to walk through another airport to change planes and taking shorter flights if possible.

“If the flight is less than two hours, avoid eating or drinking if possible, so you don’t have to take off your mask,” Dr. More says. “And there’s a whole new side of traveling with babies and infants under two who cannot even be masked. My recommendation for families with children under two is do not travel by air at all.”

Other tips for your trip

Aside from the general infection prevention measures and vaccines, Dr. More has other advice to help your holiday trip go smoothly and safely.

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Tags: Child Safety, COVID-19, holiday travel, pediatrics

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