LATAM Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane
Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.

Asking a Fellow Passenger “Have You Been Vaccinated?” Is That Appropriate?

As the number of new cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus keep diminishing in many areas of the United States and some parts of the world, more people are traveling — and people are traveling more — especially after they have been fully vaccinated…

Asking a Fellow Passenger “Have You Been Vaccinated?” Is That Appropriate?

…but is asking a fellow passenger aboard an airplane “Have you been vaccinated?” an appropriate question to ask?

The husband of FlyerTalk member MarianR likes to sit by the window when aboard an airplane — which typically means that she ends up in the middle seat. Even though they are both fully vaccinated and had an upcoming flight scheduled, MarianR asked: “Wondering if there is any protocol about asking whoever takes the aisle seat if they’ve been vaccinated?”

Many of the responses by fellow FlyerTalk members were rather blunt. “No and if you ask me I’m not giving you that information” is what EAJuggalo posted. “If it is that concerning to you, go all the way to back of the plane, and take a window and an aisle. The odds of a single wanting to sit between two strangers is slim, especially at the very back of the plane.”

FlyerTalk member zeus2120 opined, “While you’re at it, make sure to ask their political affiliation, if they’ve ever had cancer, what religion they are, and if they’ve ever had an abortion. Considering literally none of that is your business, vaccination status shouldn’t be either. Maybe you should rent a car and drive.”

A more diplomatic approach is offered by FlyerTalk member nsx: “Best approach is to smile and say that you’re both vaccinated. Maybe the person will reply and give you the information, maybe not. Either way you are safe.”

Summary

If you are fully vaccinated against the 2019 Novel Coronavirus and proudly want everyone in the world to know, terrific. If you do not ever want to get vaccinated and tell anyone, that is also a personal choice of yours…

…but I generally agree with FlyerTalk members that to ask someone if he or she is fully vaccinated is in poor form, as that is asking for personal information which is indeed not the business of the person who is requesting that information unless it is under certain circumstances — such as a medical professional asking a patient prior to surgery or treatment as one example.

Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.

  1. No and it doesn’t matter. Being vaccinated does not stop you from spreading it or being a carrier… it just lowers the chances you will not be able to fight it off.

    Please read and learn stuff before posting/talking to people like this.

  2. If you are vaccinated and are still truly concerned whether other travelers you are near are vaccinated or not, you probably shouldn’t be traveling in the first place. Because, face it, unless governments start mandating vaccination papers, you’ll never know who is and who isn’t vaccinated. Or you could actually believe science and know that if you aren’t 80 and/or already on death’s door for some other health reasons, there was never much of a chance of covid seriously threatening you even when you weren’t vaccinated, so if you’re now vaccinated you really have nothing to fear from those who may not be. Get back to life.

  3. Those who have been vaccinated want everyone to know.
    Those who aren’t don’t want to talk about.

    1. Completely agree. People who’ve been vaccinated have been anxiously waiting for their appointments. When they get the vaccine it’s a moment of celebration and newfound freedom that they’re happy to share with others. It’s something to be proud of and everyone I know shares it openly.

      1. Agreed. I just wish that those of us vaccinated through a recent clinical trial would have the same freedoms. Hopefully our vaccine will be approved soon.

  4. I think this post illustrates the complete naivety of the current circumstance.

    I have been vaccinated.

    you pose no significant risk to me if you choose not to do so.

    good luck with that.

    Have a nice day!

    1. I can’t imagine why I would ask, since I am vaccinated myself and even if I wasn’t the risk of transmission on a plane is so low. I flew 5 times during the pandemic and did not catch anything.

      At same stage we may find that you will be able to tell who is vaccinated on the plane based on whether or not they are required to wear a mask. The fact that you have to wear a mask now if you are vaccinated when you are on a plane but not anywhere else is just absurd.

  5. I wouldn’t ask because it really doesn’t matter, if you are vaxxed you do not really need to worry about them.

    And what if they say no? Are you going to ask the flight attendant to move you? Are you going to put on another mask? Literally nothing good comes out of it.

  6. I’ve been vaccinated, and will gladly provide proof of that to a proper authority figure if required. A nosy scaredy-cat fellow passenger is not a proper authority figure. My answer in that case would be. “None of your damn business.” If MarianR has been vaccinated, what does she have to worry about? If she’s that scared, she can stay the hell home.

  7. I’d ask myself “what are you going to do with this information?” If they say “no”, will you still sit there? If so, do not ask.

    What if they lie? Then move to a different seat? If so, then move to a different seat without asking because you don’t know never know the true answer.

    If the seating is 3 abreast and there are two passengers in a party, I’d say to buy a 3rd seat and have the whole row to yourself. You can also buy a 3rd seat for a musical instrument. Such instrument can be an empty can of 7-Up that you beat on like a drum.

    Besides vaccination history, I would be also interested in knowing if the next passenger is a thief. If so, I should guard my property more. So, to the next passenger, “do you steal?”*

    *idea from the book Black Boy, 1945, author: Richard Wright

  8. It’s a stupid question to ask, what is the purpose? Wearing a mask protects others by slowing the spread. The vaccine is for your own protection, why is it your concern if the person next to you received it or not? That’s like asking your arm rest if it has been wiped down and virus free. Wear your mask and worry about yourself. If they ask me ill just reply with, you better keep your mask on. I may even put water on my face to make it look like I’m sick & sweating so they change their seat :))

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