If you have a trip planned to somewhere not featured here, you need to research your destination - and feel free to get in touch if you need help doing that :)
In terms of proof of vaccination, most will accept the card given at the time of vaccination - important since those 16 and under in the UK are not currently eligible to use the NHS app.
As it is unlikely that unvaccinated foreign visitors will get into the USA, this article only covers those under the age of 18.
However, like the rules for entering the US, many of these schemes have exceptions for medical exemption - if you have sufficient proof to satisfy entry requirements, you will be able to use this as an alternative to vaccination proof in these cities.
It's also important to note some important destinations that do not have vaccine mandates and likely never will, including Florida - where laws passed by Governor DeSantis have made it difficult even for private employers to implement vaccine mandates for their staff, and ban vaccine passports completely.
This is the most well known scheme outside of the UK, called the 'Key to NYC' scheme.
This restricts unvaccinated citizens and visitors from venturing inside at covered venues (the list can be found in the introduction above, or on the various links to the official website - which is essentially anywhere indoors other than shops, public transportation including airports, and their own hotel rooms.
Currently the vaccination requirements are:
In Boston the vaccine mandate scheme is called 'Boston B-Together', and was implemented in January 2022.
The full list of covered indoor venues can be found on the link above, but is essentially the same as the New York scheme.
At the present time the Boston vaccination requirements for under 18s are:
In Chicago the mandate is officially referred to only as 'Public Health Order 2021-2, with more information here, and covers the following locations:
The vaccination requirements for Chicago are:
**UPDATE Feb 13 2022: the City of Chicago has indicated that if the numbers stay positive, they will relax both their mask and vaccine mandate on Feb 28th inline with the relaxation of State-wide mandates. I will update the article when that happens **
In LA, the new ordinance - implemented in November 2021, and at the time the most far-reaching in the country requires proof of vaccination to enter the indoor portions of:
The current vaccination mandate for Los Angeles is:
The Philadelphia mandate began on January 3rd 2022 and covered locations include any indoor venue that serves food or drink.
The mandate states a more detailed list of locations as:
This mandate will not be applied in hospitals, grocery stores, convenience stores, or other establishments that primarily sell food and drink for offsite use, or in Philadelphia International Airport, except in traditional seated restaurant or seated bar style locations."
The requirements of this scheme are:
The New Orleans vaccination mandate is a little different to those covered above, in that it includes some flexibility.
The District of Columbia has launched a city wide vaccination entry requirement (VaxDC - Mayors order 2021-148), which requires establishments to verify that patrons are vaccinated against COVID-19.
These establishments include restaurants, food halls and taverns, cinemas, theatres and bowling alleys, coffee shops, night clubs and gyms.
Various cities in the USA have introduced vaccine mandates in an effort to encourage their citizens to get vaccinated - too many cities to detail here.
When you are in the planning stages for your next trip, if you have children over the age of 5 you need to research the details of any mandates in the cities and/or counties you plan to visit.
Even if the current rules allow your child to go inside covered venues, there is a chance that could change between when you book the trip and when you travel, so keep up to date on any changes up until you depart.
(NB - This issue affects our family personally - we have a trip booked for April/May this year which includes Los Angeles. Our children are 7 and 8 so are unlikely to be able to be vaccinated between now and when we leave - currently there are no restrictions until age 12, but this could well change in the next 3 months, meaning we would need to alter our plans.
Such is travel in the COVID era!)