I’ve been struggling with the same dilemma about travel as has jon_slider. I have been concerned not only with infecting my elderly father (88), but also with trying not to infect other people who might not be vaccinated or immune for various reasons. I haven’t seen my father, and my brother and his family, since November, 2019. I was hoping that the pandemic would have calmed enough by the late summer or autumn that I could travel by airline and it would be fine, although I had decided to skip the Thanksgiving crowds this year. However, with the onslaught of the new variants and the increase in infections in many areas, that did not come to pass. The new variants are more infectious by far than the old.
My father had his vaccinations before I did. I had my second shot in mid-April. My sister, who is a medical doctor and epidemiologist, has been traveling since she was vaccinated last winter. I’ve been more cautious. Other doctors, when I asked for advice on whether to travel and risk airports and airplanes, said: “You have the other side of the risk, also - that your father is getting older and time is passing.” They advised me to travel while my vaccines are still effective.
Pfizer said last week that, based on the reported results of a study in Israel, it is seeing waning of its vaccine’s effectiveness at preventing infection and preventing serious illness at around six months post vaccination. The reported effectiveness in preventing serious illness after six months in that study was down to about 64%. I am guessing that the CDC does not now agree with Pfizer’s recommendation that we get boosters if we had that company’s vaccine because there is not yet enough evidence to show that definitively. They probably want to see the results of at least another study - preferably from the USA - but that’s just a guess on my part.
I’m still not sure what to do - but I think what I’m going to do is to make airline reservations to visit my family before the six-month mark after my second shot (if I can get reservations). I will also maybe wear an N95 mask, or possibly a ASTM Level 3 mask, when I travel. I will also probably maintain some distance between me and my family, just to be on the safe side, especially with my father. And of course, wash my hands when I get to my destination.