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by donw 1736 days ago
> With travel at least, countries have the right to deny people for any reason whatsoever.

That isn't where I was going.

There is a current hard push for border controls at each state boundary; e.g., even domestic flights.

Not law yet, but the fact this is even being discussed is unacceptable. As was the employer mandate.

> Many already mandate various vaccines for entry (even for diseases not transmissible between humans),

Nope.

All vaccinations in Japan are optional (albeit recommended, and most parents follow the standard schedule for their children). A Japanese citizen can get a Japanese passport without a single vaccine.

The US has allowed Japanese citizens landing permission for a very, very long time.

Sure, it may be uncommon for an unvaccinated Japanese person to travel to the US, but it was and still is entirely legal. Except for the COVID prophylaxis (which is not a vaccine, as it does not appear to confer any lasting immunity).

> (Note: I didn’t downvote you)

Thank you. There's more than a small contingent of organized HNers that works to bury anything that runs contrary to their nascent religion.

2 comments

> Nope.

Absolutely wrong. Here's a list of countries and their various vaccine requirements for entry. Despite what you think, there's a lot of them and these requirements predate covid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccination_requirements_for_i...

Obtaining a passport is completely irrelevant. Countries deny people with valid passports from entering all the time. For example, if they don't have the proper vaccines.

Almost no country that Americans, Europeans, Japanese, Koreans, etc go to in large numbers for tourism ever actually asked about medical history precovid.

Making laughable assertions doesn't help convince the unvaxed to get the jabs.

> Making laughable assertions doesn't help convince the unvaxed to get the jabs.

Being unkind rarely changes anyone's mind.

Try applying for a visa to some countries and yes, they will ask. Some countries deny visas to first world royalty for disease history. China denied people with HIV for a long time. Some African countries require vaccinations for some diseases. Some places require vaccinations for people coming from poorer countries.

The angle you're coming from seems to be be that Americans, etc should be treated specially and not be checked. Go to the wrong country with that expectation and reality will hit you hard.

"The angle you're coming from seems to be be that Americans, etc should be treated specially"

Pointing out what actually happens isn't an angle, it stating the situation as it is, not an endorsement.

"Some African countries require vaccinations for some diseases...Go to the wrong country with that expectation and reality will hit you hard."

Very few people are going to these countries.

Down below is someone commenting that they had to get a yellow fever vaccine to visit Kenya.

Maybe you're not visiting these countries. But frankly, nobody cares. Millions are. And they're being checked for proof of vaccines and have been for a long time.

> Obtaining a passport is completely irrelevant.

For most travelers, it is the only document you show at the border.

> Countries deny people with valid passports from entering all the time. For example, if they don't have the proper vaccines.

In theory, yes. In practice, no.

I have never once seen a Japanese traveler required to produce any medical paperwork along with their passport (and I have flown a lot between both countries).

Could a traveler from Japan in theory be stopped at the border for a lack of vaccination? Probably. How often does that happen? Effectively never.

Well yes. But that’s because when going to a country you first check what are the requirements to cross the border. I’ve never seen a somebody kicked out of the US border because they didn’t make an ESTA, but that’s because everybody in the line triple checked that they have it.
> I have never once seen a Japanese traveler required to produce any medical paperwork along with their passport (and I have flown a lot between both countries).

That's because a significant number of countries that require vaccines also require something called a "visa."

Visas have many years of history, and they're generally obtained beforehand. When applying for visas, you submit various documentation, pay a fee, and it makes your entry process much easier. When traveling first world to first world, visa checks for travel are generally waived. Going first world to anywhere not-first world, or in the opposite direction, usually requires some degree of a visa process.

"First worlders" often are visa exempt when visiting non first world countries as well or visas are online and easily attainable.

Most tourist attracting countries that require visa for some, don't make one submit any medical info for both first world and mid tier countries.

> That's because a significant number of countries that require vaccines also require something called a "visa."

Japan is not one of these.

I have absolutely no clue why you're continuously focusing exclusively on Japan to avoid the fact that vaccine/immunization mandates have global precedents and they've existed forever at this point.

Japan might not mandate a certain vaccine. But if you're going to Bangladesh, Bangladesh does not in fact care about Japanese law.

For an example of how badly this works out, look up the UK guy who tried playing the sovereign citizen card in Singapore and pretending the law regarding disease spread doesn't apply to him. Spoilers: it did.

> I have absolutely no clue why you're continuously focusing exclusively on Japan to avoid the fact that vaccine/immunization mandates have global precedents and they've existed forever at this point.

Because Japan is a counterexample that shows your position to be de facto false.

> Japan might not mandate a certain vaccine. But if you're going to Bangladesh, Bangladesh does not in fact care about Japanese law.

Correct and irrelevant.

Bangladesh also allows Japanese travelers to enter the country without having to demonstrate any proof of vaccination.

> full-bore Nazis and don't even realize it.

> organized HNers that works to bury anything that runs contrary to their nascent religion.

I downvote posts that can't resist aggressive parting shots like this. Honestly, just leave this kind of bullshit at the door. It will make your comment much stronger. I disagree with some of your points but you're still contributing to the discussion here if you would leave out these remarks.