HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

The UK now recognises European Union nationals who have been jabbed with two different COVID-19 vaccines, meaning they can finally travel to the UK without the need to self-isolate if their country is on the UK’s ‘green list’.

The UK government has now updated its information on the new border rules for England and the decision was announced this week by the UK Department for Transport and the Department of Health and Social Care.

The departments noted that “Where two doses of a vaccine are required for a full course, you will be able to mix two different types of vaccine, for example, Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna, have the two vaccinations under two different approved programmes, for example, Australia and Japan, UK and USA, EU and Canada.”

It is important to note, however, that Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales may announce different policies after complaints were made stating that the policy towards those with mixed vaccinations was confusing.

The latest travel update means that anyone travelling to the UK from EU countries that are listed on the UK’s ‘green list’, and who have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca for their first dose and Pfizer for their second, will now be counted as ‘fully vaccinated’ from Monday, October 4th.

The Departments also made it clear that only four vaccines will continue to be recognised and accepted as valid proof of full immunity against Covid-19. Those vaccines are Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson and Johnson).

Other formulations of the same vaccines that will also be accepted are AstraZeneca/Covishield, AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria and Moderna/Takeda.

The Department for Transport did however note that up until October 4, those who have received mixed vaccines will be permitted to enter, but only if the vaccination took place under a UK, EU, USA or UK overseas vaccination programme.

“You must have had a complete course of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England,” it stated.

The news will be received gratefully by many, but some EU countries will not benefit from the new rules. Citizens from countries such as Hungary, will still not be eligible to travel to the UK restriction-free, as they have been vaccinated with Sputnik V, a vaccine that is not on the ‘accepted list’.

On the other hand, EU citizens who have been vaccinated outside of the block will be classed as a ‘fully vaccinated person’ but only if they have been vaccinated from a public health authority in Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Norwegian Minister of Health Care and Services, Bent Høie has welcomed the news saying, “This is good news for those who have been sceptical about accepting dose 2 of a different type of vaccine than the one they received as dose one due to the desire to travel to the UK. Although we are not aware that Norwegian travellers have been challenged due to cross-vaccination, we hope this can lead to even more people being vaccinated with dose two.”

He also claims that at least 15 EU countries have vaccinated their residents with two different vaccines and notes that the EU recommends that people with such vaccinations should be recognised as being ‘fully vaccinated’.

There didn’t appear to be any good news for those who have actually had Covid and then received one dose of the vaccine, which is standard practice in many European countries.

It still appears that the UK considers this group of people as not being fully vaccinated for the purpose of entry.

All vaccinated travellers from European countries who are travelling to England should remember the following...

• The UK has now removed ‘amber list’ on which most European countries were on. It now has just a reduced ‘red list’ and then the ‘rest of the world’, which currently contains European countries.
• Vaccinated travellers from those countries not on the ‘red list’ will not need to undertake pre-departure tests for travel to England from October 4 at 4 am.
• Anyone arriving in England from a country not on the ‘red list’ will still need to take a test on day two of arrival, but this can now be the cheaper lateral flow tests rather than the expensive PCR tests. This new measure will come into force sometime “later in October” but it is not yet clear as to whether these would have to be paid for and reserved in advance.
• If you qualify as being ‘fully vaccinated’ you will be required to book and pay for a COVID test that needs to be taken on or before day two after arriving in England and
• complete your passenger locator form which can be done any time in the 48 hours prior to arriving in England
• You must be able to prove that you have been fully vaccinated, a minimum of 14 days prior to travel. This can be with either a digital or paper document from a national or state-level public health body and must include your full name, date of birth, the vaccine manufacturer, the dates of all vaccine doses and the country or territory of vaccination and /or certificate issuer.

Anyone arriving in the UK who has not been vaccinated will still be required to self isolate for 10 days, as well as take pre-departure tests on both days two and eight after arrival.

Sources

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/uk-now-recognises-eu-nationals-vaccinated-with-2-different-covid-19-doses-as-fully-vaccinated/
https://www.thelocal.es/20210922/update-uk-says-european-travellers-with-mixed-covid-doses-do-count-as-fully-vaccinated/