WASHINGTON — A White House official says the U.S. will announce today that it will reopen its land borders to vaccinated non-essential visitors on Nov. 8.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a policy not yet made public, says travellers will need to show proof of vaccination to Customs and Border Protection officials upon request.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently working on the operational details, such as what will constitute acceptable proof and which “very limited” exceptions might be allowed.

Vaccines approved by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization will be accepted for international air travel, and officials expect the same will be the case at land borders.

What’s still not clear is whether people who received doses of two different vaccines, a condition that impacts roughly four million Canadians, will be considered to be fully vaccinated.

New York congressman Brian Higgins has written to the CDC to urge the agency to promptly clarify its stance on mixed-dose vaccines.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2021.