Disney Cruise Line To Require COVID Vaccines For Kids

In this photo, the Disney Magic cruise ship passes the White Cliffs of Dover in England on June 12, 2010.

Starting on Jan. 13, 2022, Disney Cruise Line (DIS) will require all U.S. and international passengers aged 5 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to sail onboard its ships, making it one of the first cruise lines to implement a coronavirus vaccination policy for young children.

The vaccination requirement for children comes as the Pfizer COVID vaccine rolls out for kids aged 5 to 11.

Currently, Disney requires passengers aged 12 and older to be fully vaccinated, saying in a message on its website that it will continue to do so through the rest of the year. But it added in an update posted Wednesday that with the availability of the Pfizer vaccine for younger children in the U.S., it will begin requiring it for them in the new year.

The message reads, in part, “Currently, Disney Cruise Line continues to require all vaccine-eligible Guests (based on US eligibility requirements) to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the time of sailing. This will be a requirement for all Guests (US and international) ages 5 and up for sailings beginning on or after January 13, 2022.”

Disney continued by saying that passengers under the age of 5 must show proof of a negative COVID test taken three days to 24 hours before the sail date of the cruise. Disney will accept NAAT tests, lab-based PCR tests, or rapid PCR tests. Rapid antigen test will not be accepted, the cruise line said.

The cost of the COVID tests is the responsibility of the passenger.

COVID vaccines accepted by Disney include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novavax, Sinopharm, and Sinovac shots, CNN reported.

At press time, the only COVID vaccine available for children aged 5 to 11 is Pfizer-BioNTech which is given in two doses approximately three weeks apart.

As of Thursday's premarket hours, shares of Disney were trading at $157.14, down 18 cents or 0.11%.