Children under 5 Covid vaccination

[galacticb]

Has anyone done a tele-proctored antigen test with a child under two years old? I'm wondering how that works since most of the at-home tests technically say for ages 2 and up. We have used them with our younger children before but wanted to make sure it wouldn't keep you from getting an approval.

 

[mja4250]

Has anyone done a tele-proctored antigen test with a child under two years old? I'm wondering how that works since most of the at-home tests technically say for ages 2 and up. We have used them with our younger children before but wanted to make sure it wouldn't keep you from getting an approval.

I asked OnPoint and they said that you could use a home test with them 6 months and up.

 

[DaviVascaino]

I don't want to go off topic, but the reason that most European countries are getting rid of that is because enforcing passports did not really change the outcomes.
Vaccinated (kids or adults) can get and transmit covid, so that won't prevent contamination/spread in the ship. So What I think they will do is to get rid vaccine mandates all together and test both kids and adults before boarding. They might still be negative when boarding when they have the virus (incubation period), so at the end of the day, but that might reduce the likelihood of transmission but does not eliminate).

Covid won't go away, unfortunately. you can't contain a highly contagious respiratory virus.

Just like I said...

(CNN) — Disney Cruise Line said on Monday it's dropping its vaccination requirement for children younger than 12.
Starting on September 2, a requirement to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer apply to guests ages 5 to 11 for sailings leaving US and Canadian ports.
The cruise line's previous rule, which still extends to sailings departing through September 1, required guests 5 and older to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/disney-cruise-line-vaccination-requirement-children/index.html

 

[nancipants]

There's already a thread about that, thanks. There are still people sailing with vaccinated kids in this age group prior to September 2, so it's important we hear stories from what is happening at the port in the meantime.

 

[nancipants]

WELP, my son's daycare sent an email today that they have several positive cases in his class, including his teacher!!! Please send good vibes his little immune system and vaccine will do their job. I have to laugh or else I'll cry.

 

[n2mm]

WELP, my son's daycare sent an email today that they have several positive cases in his class, including his teacher!!! Please send good vibes his little immune system and vaccine will do their job. I have to laugh or else I'll cry.

ugh. Hope all goes well. You definitely deserve this cruise. You’ve worked so hard to get here! I was on the 8/27 and 9/3 (a b2b) but gave up the 8/27 because a b2b was making me too nervous. Now only on the 9/3. Good luck!

 

[CVTmarie23]

Someone on Facebook mentioned that they were told their vaccinated 3 year old still needs PCR test so I just called safe passage and the woman on the phone told me that my vaccinated 2 year old and 5 year old will need PCR tests at the port. This is the first I've heard of this. She checked with a supervisor. And is unable to give me anything in writing. She said this was the update as of Monday.

 

[nancipants]

Someone on Facebook mentioned that they were told their vaccinated 3 year old still needs PCR test so I just called safe passage and the woman on the phone told me that my vaccinated 2 year old and 5 year old will need PCR tests at the port. This is the first I've heard of this. She checked with a supervisor. And is unable to give me anything in writing. She said this was the update as of Monday.

Wait, they said PCR tests? Not antigen?

How can they be so bad at this?

 

[CVTmarie23]

Wait, they said PCR tests? Not antigen?

How can they be so bad at this?

Yes . I actually called about a different question and she mentioned him needing a PCR test at the port and I said wait WHAT? She doubled checked and said they got new guidance on Monday that changed from antigen to PCR for vaccinated under 5 year olds. She checked with a supervisor who verified. She then told me to create a help ticket to remove his vaccinated card and status from safe passage so he would be treated as unvaccinated and only need an antigen test.

 

[CVTmarie23]

Wait, they said PCR tests? Not antigen?

How can they be so bad at this?

And my travel agent just called Disney and they verified this as well.

 

[lanejudy]

She then told me to create a help ticket to remove his vaccinated card and status from safe passage so he would be treated as unvaccinated and only need an antigen test.

That’s backwards! Unvaccinated needs PCR.

 

[PlutosMom]

There's already a thread about that, thanks. There are still people sailing with vaccinated kids in this age group prior to September 2, so it's important we hear stories from what is happening at the port in the meantime.

@nancipants , you’ve provided so much guidance and support for us on the issue of <5yo testing that it’s heartbreaking to hear Covid has risen it’s ugly head in your son’s classroom. for you, your son and your family for the upcoming cruise! Keep us posted!

 

[nancipants]

Yes . I actually called about a different question and she mentioned him needing a PCR test at the port and I said wait WHAT? She doubled checked and said they got new guidance on Monday that changed from antigen to PCR for vaccinated under 5 year olds. She checked with a supervisor who verified. She then told me to create a help ticket to remove his vaccinated card and status from safe passage so he would be treated as unvaccinated and only need an antigen test.

Excuse my language, but what the EFF. I swear to god if they reject his vax card only to approved other vaxxed toddlers one week later I am going to SCREAM.

Can we please have that one guy come back in here now who wanted to say I told you so?

 

[nancipants]

And my travel agent just called Disney and they verified this as well.

AbsoLUTELY not. I’m calling shoreside again tomorrow because this is absolutely unacceptable.

ETA: I emailed the CEO’s office again. I was not pleasant.

 

[CVTmarie23]

AbsoLUTELY not. I’m calling shoreside again tomorrow because this is absolutely unacceptable.

I know. Im calling again tomorrow and praying the people we talked to at safe passage and Disney had no idea what they were talking about tonight. I do have to say the Disney agent was very nice but never had a question about a vaccinated under 5 before. He said I'd need the PCR test 3 days ahead as well in addition to the PCR at the port. He kept telling me that it was fine because Disney was paying for it at the port.

 

[Kwami]

I know. Im calling again tomorrow and praying the people we talked to at safe passage and Disney had no idea what they were talking about tonight. I do have to say the Disney agent was very nice but never had a question about a vaccinated under 5 before. He said I'd need the PCR test 3 days ahead as well in addition to the PCR at the port. He kept telling me that it was fine because Disney was paying for it at the port.

Shoreside cast members are often wrong about pretty much everything, especially when policies change. Good luck!

 

[CVTmarie23]

Excuse my language, but what the EFF. I swear to god if they reject his vax card only to approved other vaxxed toddlers one week later I am going to SCREAM.

Can we please have that one guy come back in here now who wanted to say I told you so?

I was really banking on my travel agent calling Disney and saying this information safe passage gave me was incorrect but when he couldn't, I really started stressing out. She put me on the call with the Disney agent and while he did say PCR test for vaccinated under 5 was the information he received, he was reading the information off the website and it was different. So it was as clear as mud after that phone call.

 

[nancipants]

I checked the Know Before You Go page again, and the testing section has been updated to only refer to vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. No mention of age at all, or that these guidelines go into effect on September 2. So WHY are they telling people different info when this is on the website right now??

 

[nancipants]

Update: It appears Safe Passage is being updated. Safe Passage's disclaimer has been updated to capture the changes on September 2. My son's vax card is still not approved, and the options under his profile are for ordering PCR testing for guests who are "not fully vaccinated - ages 11 and younger." It is not showing an option to order or upload antigen test results. However, I am wondering if that will change upon approval of his vax card. I submitted it on Friday so hopefully that approval will come through tomorrow.

 

[four42two]

Just spoke with Disney shoreside concierge. Their guidance says that the new policy is only effective for cruises departing Sept. 2 and later. I pointed out that the website has already been updated; the concierge confirmed that but could only tell me what their guidance says. We talked about how the inconsistent messaging is confusing, and they were sympathetic, but at the end of the day there wasn't anything to be done.

I'm very encouraged by the previous poster who was able to bring along their kiddo's antigen test to get waived through port-side testing. It sounds like that is not an "official" policy, but something that the Safe Passage folks at the port are doing as a common sense measure. We'll certainly try it for our cruise this week, and at least the testing requirements will be simplified for folks sailing in September.

Good luck to all!

Hi all, here’s my latest report. All eight of us (including 4-year-old) did Onpoint testing last night. We were able to upload all of the tests except for 4-year-old, whose Safe Passage button was still grayed out, saying she would be testing at port. Everyone’s was approved as of 7:45 this morning, as expected. And then…

When I logged in to verify Clear to Sail status, the 4-year-old’s button was not grayed out anymore! Whether that change was because of the recent policy change, or just pixie dust flying around, I cannot say. But we’ve now uploaded her test result, and fingers crossed she’ll be cleared to sail before tomorrow.