FAA to Require ‘No-Fly’ Window for Pilots After Taking Covid Vaccine

The Federal Aviation Administration in the United States issued new guidance for pilots and air-traffic controllers relative to inoculations against Covid-19.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration late last week issued an emergency-use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine and the first recipients of the vaccine were inoculated on Monday.

The agency is telling pilots that they cannot fly for 48 hours after each dose.

“After careful review of available data regarding safety profiles, the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine has adopted the policy as both safe and operationally responsive to this unique situation, that holders of FAA-issued Airman Medical Certificates or Medical Clearances may receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine; however, a 48-hour no-fly/no safety-related duty interval must be observed after each dose,” it said in a statement.

The FAA also said it will be monitoring patient response to the vaccine and may adjust its policy as new data becomes available in order to ensure aviation safety.

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