actual vaccine availability in Russia: 0

[royryan 16]

From the CDC website:

 

Categories of noncitizen nonimmigrants that meet the criteria for an exception under the Proclamation and CDC’s Order include:

 

Persons with valid visas [excluding B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas] who are citizens of a foreign country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability

 

So, how is it that Russia has not made the list of limited availability despite having NO approved vaccines?  It can't be because they have over 10% of Russians vaccinated, because I don't believe that 10% of Russians traveled to get an approved vaccine. 

In my opinion Fauci is cooking the books.

[Roberts123 2]

4 minutes ago, royryan said:

From the CDC website:

 

Categories of noncitizen nonimmigrants that meet the criteria for an exception under the Proclamation and CDC’s Order include:

 

Persons with valid visas [excluding B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visas] who are citizens of a foreign country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability

 

So, how is it that Russia has not made the list of limited availability despite having NO approved vaccines?  It can't be because they have over 10% of Russians vaccinated, because I don't believe that 10% of Russians traveled to get an approved vaccine. 

In my opinion Fauci is cooking the books.

Not only that, but making Poland the country Russians need to go to. When getting a Schengen visa is not easy. Especially now.

[royryan 16]

3 minutes ago, Roberts123 said:

Not only that, but making Poland the country Russians need to go to. When getting a Schengen visa is not easy. Especially now.

I especially like how they spun it as something positive, as in "Lifting the Travel Ban".

 

They lifted nothing, they simply shifted the burden onto someone else. 

[Merica-n 65]

31 minutes ago, royryan said:

So, how is it that Russia has not made the list of limited availability despite having NO approved vaccines?

Simple answer, the CDC determined it based on World Health Organization statistics of country by country vaccination rates.  These vaccination rates are not based on WHO approved vaccines, but vaccines approved within the countries given.  The WHO dashboard can be found here:  https://covid19.who.int/region/euro/country/ru

 

Long answer, quote from a senior administration official:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/10/25/background-press-call-by-senior-administration-officials-on-covid-19-and-international-air-travel-policy/

Quote

With regard to other exemptions: In fact, yes, we fully are aware that the global distribution and availability of vaccines varies widely, and so there will be exemptions specifically for countries that have insufficient vaccines to have persons fully vaccinated. 
 
In general, WHO provides a regularly updated list of countries in which the fully vaccinated population of those countries is under 10 — is under what that percentage is.  And for those for whom that coverage level is under 10 percent of the entire population, they will fall into this exemption category in terms of availability.

Congress delegated authority to Biden with INA => Biden delegated authority to CDC => CDC uses W.H.O. statistics and adds in their own judgment.

 

I know the above provides little solace to you.

 

People say online that tourist agencies sell travel packages to go to Croatia, so that Russians and that the Johnson and Johnson one shot vaccine is available there.  Please double check this before you book.  I just found it in some random internet articles.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/croatia-now-most-popular-vaccine-tourism-destination-among-russians/

Edited November 10, 2021 by Merica-n

[royryan 16]

24 minutes ago, Merica-n said:

 

I know the above provides little solace to you.

 

 

No, it didn't provide any solace, and I still think the CDC is trying to simultaneously count and not count the Russian vaccines, but I appreciate the even-handed reply. 

[slavaskii 886]

2 hours ago, royryan said:

I especially like how they spun it as something positive, as in "Lifting the Travel Ban".

 

They lifted nothing, they simply shifted the burden onto someone else. 

Yeah, I have been sounding the alarms about this for months, plans for this were announced in early August. Remember leaving my fiancee after a vacation in Europe and seeing this news on the plane, had an "oh " moment reading the article. 

 

In my opinion, the vaccine has become the perfect political weapon. If you think our rules are crazy, have you seen the UK? You could've gotten an approved vaccine, but if it wasn't in a certain country, it can't be used. Imagine that! To me, the most discriminatory thing about the vaccine mandates as they pertain to international travel is they purposefully paint those who don't have the vaccine as wrongdoers, though that's the farthest thing from the case. There's so many additional factors here, availability being the most important one. I was shocked when I read the CDC was going to publish a list of 'exempted' countries and thought maybe someone had actually thought this problem through. Yet, reading over the list, I'm completely convinced this is a giant #######-for-tat with all CIS countries, China, and others caught in the fray.

 

I really dislike the idea that we've normalized discriminating against the unvaccinated. Labeling this lifting as a victory is a farce when it instead creates one of the largest travel bans in US history. 

 

2 hours ago, Merica-n said:

Simple answer, the CDC determined it based on World Health Organization statistics of country by country vaccination rates.  These vaccination rates are not based on WHO approved vaccines, but vaccines approved within the countries given.  The WHO dashboard can be found here:  https://covid19.who.int/region/euro/country/ru

 

Long answer, quote from a senior administration official:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/10/25/background-press-call-by-senior-administration-officials-on-covid-19-and-international-air-travel-policy/

Congress delegated authority to Biden with INA => Biden delegated authority to CDC => CDC uses W.H.O. statistics and adds in their own judgment.

 

I know the above provides little solace to you.

 

People say online that tourist agencies sell travel packages to go to Croatia, so that Russians and that the Johnson and Johnson one shot vaccine is available there.  Please double check this before you book.  I just found it in some random internet articles.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/croatia-now-most-popular-vaccine-tourism-destination-among-russians/

Yes, wanted to comment (as I have elsewhere) that I can confirm from my fiancee's personal experience Croatia gives vaccines out to tourists. Though I would encourage *not* to go with a tour group if I was OP and doing that route, as I'm sure those would charge up the wazoo. I purchased my fiancee a really simple itinerary in-and-out of Zagreb and it turned into a little mini-vacation, haha. 

[millefleur 5,046]

The whole situation is beyond frustrating. The situation inside of Russia is also quite stupid, to be fair. I'm visiting right now and I can't go inside museums despite being vaxxed because they don't recognize anything but Sputnik here. However, I was able to get into Russia with a PCR test alone so there is that. 

 

I hope that the WHO approves Sputnik soon as that might be a starting point who repairing some diplomatic ties between the West and Russia. I might look into the Croatia route if things don't get better, at least so my MIL can visit us in the US. She has a US tourist visa and hasn't even used it yet becauss Covid. It's imperative that she use it at least once before expiring because the US does not like people who get visas and don't use them. So we will have to figure something out in the next year or so.

Edited November 10, 2021 by millefleur

[slavaskii 886]

7 hours ago, millefleur said:

The whole situation is beyond frustrating. The situation inside of Russia is also quite stupid, to be fair. I'm visiting right now and I can't go inside museums despite being vaxxed because they don't recognize anything but Sputnik here. However, I was able to get into Russia with a PCR test alone so there is that. 

 

I hope that the WHO approves Sputnik soon as that might be a starting point who repairing some diplomatic ties between the West and Russia. I might look into the Croatia route if things don't get better, at least so my MIL can visit us in the US. She has a US tourist visa and hasn't even used it yet becauss Covid. It's imperative that she use it at least once before expiring because the US does not like people who get visas and don't use them. So we will have to figure something out in the next year or so.

That’s wild, actually, so Russia didn’t permit you to use a Western vaccine to even enter? I’m pretty sure even Belarus doesn’t go that far, I was (cautiously) looking into travel there soon and my understanding is that they have a broad definition of ‘vaccinated’. I’m shocked that Russia only recognizes Sputnik when even its former ‘early adopters’ have canned it for something else. At least they permit PCR entry, was that with quarantine?

 

I’m glad to hear your mother managed to get a tourist visa before everything shuttered! Was it a 10 year visa that’s near expiry? I wish I could offer you help with renewing it, but unfortunately, we ran into that same problem and soon discovered third country renewals in the age of Covid are impossible...

[millefleur 5,046]

15 minutes ago, slavaskii said:

That’s wild, actually, so Russia didn’t permit you to use a Western vaccine to even enter? I’m pretty sure even Belarus doesn’t go that far, I was (cautiously) looking into travel there soon and my understanding is that they have a broad definition of ‘vaccinated’. I’m shocked that Russia only recognizes Sputnik when even its former ‘early adopters’ have canned it for something else. At least they permit PCR entry, was that with quarantine?

You know it was kind of weird. There is this form you have to fill out before entering (they hand it out on the plane) and there was a generic "Are you vaccinated?" question with a simple yes/no option to circle. I selected yes, but the PCR test is also a requirement for non-Russian citizens, so I had to provide info about that as well. Nobody in Russia ever looked at my vax card or asked about it, and in terms on being in Russia right now, you need to get this QR code on your phone as vax proof. The only way to get that is Sputnik, they won't accept any other vax for the QR code.

 

The QR code is only required for museums, events/venues like theaters, concerts, etc and maybe some government buildings....but other than that, nobody is asking for it here. I've been able to go in and out of just about everywhere else with no problems so far. So, officially, for non-Russians the entry requirement remains negative PCR test only. Just kind of no point for tourists to come here if all the touristy stuff is banned, unless you want to go get a jab of Sputnik Light (which is sort of like a booster?) and then get a QR code. Thankfully no quarantine, the PCR test just cannot be older than 72 hours before you enter.

 

15 minutes ago, slavaskii said:

I’m glad to hear your mother managed to get a tourist visa before everything shuttered! Was it a 10 year visa that’s near expiry? I wish I could offer you help with renewing it, but unfortunately, we ran into that same problem and soon discovered third country renewals in the age of Covid are impossible...

In the nick of time, seriously. We had her fly out to Yekaterinburg right after the Petersburg consulate closed, which I believe was in early December 2019, I'd have to check her visa to make sure. She got the 3 year tourist visa so it's still good I think until December 2022. I hope she can visit at least once before it expires since it was a huge pain to get in the first place and chance of renewal looks impossible. Maybe this summer she can visit Croatia (they normally vacation in some sunny country during early summer anyway) and get the jab so she can come visit us before the US visa expires.

Edited November 10, 2021 by millefleur

[HRQX 4,145]

On 11/9/2021 at 5:07 PM, royryan said:

Russians travel

Get a Mexican Electronic authorization* and then fly to MX and cross at a land POE. Land POEs have consistently recognized K-1 travel as "essential" https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/10/21/2021-23005/notification-of-temporary-travel-restrictions-applicable-to-land-ports-of-entry-and-ferries-service Also, there aren't any COVID testing requirements for land entry.

 

*Electronic authorization link: https://www.inm.gob.mx/sae/publico/en/solicitud.html

Edited November 11, 2021 by HRQX

[royryan 16]

17 hours ago, HRQX said:

Get a Mexican Electronic authorization* and then fly to MX and cross at a land POE. Land POEs have consistently recognized K-1 travel as "essential" https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/10/21/2021-23005/notification-of-temporary-travel-restrictions-applicable-to-land-ports-of-entry-and-ferries-service Also, there aren't any COVID testing requirements for land entry.

 

*Electronic authorization link: https://www.inm.gob.mx/sae/publico/en/solicitud.html

Might be doable, providing I can find a flight from St Petersburg to Mexico that doesn't transit through the US.

[HRQX 4,145]

30 minutes ago, royryan said:

Might be doable, providing I can find a flight from St Petersburg to Mexico that doesn't transit through the US.

How about leaving from Moscow and transiting through Frankfurt? Russians don't need a transit visa for Germany: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/transit-schengen-visa/

[royryan 16]

1 hour ago, HRQX said:

How about leaving from Moscow and transiting through Frankfurt? Russians don't need a transit visa for Germany: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/transit-schengen-visa/

Thank you so much!  With only a month and a half before her visa expires, things were looking rather bleak, but thanks to you, I think I see a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds.

 

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,092]

On 11/11/2021 at 4:46 PM, HRQX said:

How about leaving from Moscow and transiting through Frankfurt? Russians don't need a transit visa for Germany: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/transit-schengen-visa/

Don't know if schedules work (or at least are less bad than flying or taking the train to Moscow), but there are direct flights from St. Petersburg to Frankfurt.

 

Though you'll likely to need to fly within Mexico to make this work; the Mexican border cities are a long way from Cancun or Mexico City.

 

Heading to Oregon (the OP's profile says he's in Oregon but says his local office is Imperial, CA; since Imperial is much closer to Mexico than Oregon I'm sure at least one of those is wrong; if Imperial is actually right then just drive from the border crossing in CA), I'd guess you fly to Mexico City, fly from there to Tijuana and walk across the border from the airport (you can apparently literally do this, though I've never done it), then fly from San Diego to Portland (Alaska does this direct several times a day).

[HRQX 4,145]

17 minutes ago, DaveAndAnastasia said:

and walk across the border from the airport (you can apparently literally do this, though I've never done it)

Yup. It costs about $19 per person to use that pedestrian bridge. It's recommended to buy that ticket in advance: https://www.crossborderxpress.com/en/requirements