Canada to require all air travelers to be vaccinated

The Canadian government announced Friday that it will require all commercial air travelers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, in addition to passengers on interprovincial trains and cruise ships.

Canada is also requiring vaccinations for all federal government workers, as well as employees in air, rail and marine transportation.

Contrast with the US: The steps are far-ranging moves to get more people vaccinated, and go significantly farther than what the Biden administration has required in the United States.

At the end of July, President Biden announced federal workers would have to be vaccinated, but stopped short of a full mandate by also leaving an option of getting tested regularly instead.

Vaccinations are not required for air travel within the United States, and even in requiring vaccines for their own employees, United Airlines is an exception among the major airlines in that it is mandating the shots.

The Biden administration has been encouraging U.S. employers to act on their own to mandate vaccinations for their workers.