USA Swimming has confirmed that it intends to go forward with its May stop of the Indianapolis Pro Swim Series meet from May 12-15 amid the COVID pandemic. With the new month comes new COVID protocols, including a simplification of the testing protocols for individuals who have been vaccinted.
For previous stops of the Pro Swim Series, all participants were required to arrive at the meet 3 days early and be tested for COVID-19 on the first day of the meet. The 3 day period is because individuals often don’t test positive for several days after first exposure.
Anybody who tested positive would be immediately removed from competition and quarantined.
With vaccines beginning to roll out to a wider audience around the country, however, USA Swimming has loosened its requirements for those individuals who have been fully vaccinated – meaning they are 14 days past their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
For those individuals, there will now be no designated arrival date and no on-site testing required, they will just need to test 72 hours prior to departure for the meet and provide proof of their vaccine.
Some individuals have already been critical of USA Swimming for this move, accusing them of “discriminating against” those who are unable to or choose not to get the vaccine.
A USA Swimming spokesperson responded to these critiques, saying that the organization was working within CDC guidelines.
“In our return to hosting events, our number one priority has been, and will continue to be, the health and safety of all individuals traveling to our competitions. USA Swimming’s carefully crafted event COVID-19 protocols remain in place and have been adapted, per the CDC, to make accommodations for fully vaccinated individuals.”
USA Swimming specifically pointed to sections of the CDC guidelines (seen here) regarding post-vaccination travel.
Individuals who have not been vaccinated will undergo the same protocol as was in place for the Mission Viejo stop of the Pro Swim Series.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced earlier this month that all adults would become eligible to register for a vaccine on April 19 – moving that date up from his original May 1 timeline. Many states have already opened up vaccines to all adults, and in many other areas, asthma, a common diagnosis for top swimmers, makes individuals eligible to become vaccinated earlier.
This means that more-and-more swimmers, who are usually part of a younger demographic that wasn’t eligible for shots in early stages of the vaccine campaign, receive doses. The United States has doled out a record number of COVID-19 vaccines over the last week as the campaign ramps up.
This could also be a preview of potential policy changes for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials.
While many Americans are still having trouble getting access to vaccines, a growing percentage of Americans have indicated willingness to get a vaccine since they were first announced in December 2020. According to a meta-review of vaccine surveys among Americans done by fivethirtyeight.com, between December and March, the share of Americans who have received a vaccine or who have said they definitively intend to get a vaccine rose by an average of 23%. A majority of Americans now say they definitely intend to get a vaccine.
According to CDC data, as of Sunday, at least 192 million doses of vaccine have been administered to Americans, which is enough doses to vaccinate 30% of the U.S. population. While real-world studies have proven substantial immunity benefits two weeks after the first dose of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the full impact is felt two weeks after the second dose. That means a 6 week period for Moderna recipients and a 5 week period for Pfizer recipients based on the manufacturer’s recommended dosing schedule.
Got my second shot yesterday. Small headache today… like watching one of your younger swimmers perform a breaststroke flip turn….
As someone who received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccination on Monday at 4:30 PM, the side effects only lasts 36 hours. A few sniffles and a few chills. A couple of Tylenol Monday night, Tuesday morning, Tuesday evening eased the symptoms somewhat.
Do you have your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card? LOL!
I wish I did some more planning around the side effects like the ones mentioned:
If one can position the appointment for when they know they have very fewer things going on after, it’s better.
Don’t be like me getting it on Sunday and then being unable to work Monday.
Modern day Jim Crow for these people that don’t want to face consequences of their own actions.
Jim Crow? Those that want to be vaccinated are being segregated from those that don’t or something like that?
I’m being sarcastic.
Sensible policy – Seems like vaccine supplies are plentiful now – everyday articles in the newspaper mention sites with excess vaccines that will go to waste if not used and offering walk-in vaccines to anyone who shows up – there is no reason anyone 16 and over should not get vaccinated by mid-May if they are willing to exercise a little diligence in seeking one out. And spectators should be allowed with proof of vaccination. At some point society needs to move forward and reopen fully – anyone foolish enough to decline vaccination does so at their own risk.
Totally correct. Get the shot, keep moving forward. Trials in 2 months.
If “anyone foolish enough to decline vaccination does so at their own risk” (and minus the “foolish” part, I agree), then what’s the point of the proof of vaccination? Those that aren’t getting it are already “at their own risk” (as it should be).
That doesn’t get into those that already have natural immunity. But that’s for another topic.
In general it makes sense that people are warming up to the vaccine. This was heavily politicized under #45 with many saying it was rushed and prominent politicians, media, sports/entertainment personalities, etc. said they didn’t trust it and wouldn’t get it right away. Fast forward to #46 now they changed their tune and claim people should get it and anything else is irresponsible and denying science.
Mixed signals and rightfully so. I also think there were some that were on the fence and took the position that hey let’s wait and see how this plays out which is also a logical response. Remember when people were getting infected with Covid-19 it was common to point to the long-term unknown or… Read more »
People have still tested positive despite getting the “vaccine”.
You still have to test prior to leaving… you just don’t need to re-test when you get there or arrive 3 days prior… which makes total sense.
The vaccine is 90%+ effective!
People still get into car accidents when they wear their seatbelt, but they’re less likely to fly out crashing through the window and then hurt themselves worse and maybe nearby pedestrians
Introduction of seatbelt laws actually led to an increase in pedestrian deaths in auto accidents. Not a good analogy
That is absolutely false. Less deaths with seatbelt wearing. I’m an emergency medicine physician. I treat patients who are in car accidents all the time. The ones who don’t wear seat belts almost always suffer devastating consequences. So it was an excellent analogy.
HIPAA has left the building…
That’s not what HIPAA is.
Is USA-S a healthcare provider or insurance company?
the MVN stop was “amid the pandemic” as well ….