To not understand why there isn't more in the news about this (the difficulty of travelling with single jabbed teens)

[Bramshott]

I've been shocked that there has been so little in the press about the problems involved with travelling with 12-17 year olds who will either have had none or only one vaccine jab.

Found this in the Independent but very little coverage elsewhere:
inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/unvaccinated-uk-teenagers-face-hundreds-for-daily-covid-tests-ski-holidays-1206048

Like many, we were excited about the option to travel soon, if not at October half term (which seems to be being constantly reference by Grant bloody Shapps) then at least at Christmas. But the more I read about it, the more of a minefield it seems to be for DD2 who is 14 and has not yet had any vaccines. Hopefully she'll have had 1 by December, but that doesn't count as "vaccinated" in any other European country as far as I can see. And most are insisting on vaccinations as they're offering it to their own over-12s. Our first thought was Germany (for the Christmas markets) but she won't even be permitted to enter the country, now considering France, but the faff involved with topping up her Covid pass with a test every couple of days is putting me off.

But the headline are all about "travel is back on", referring specifically to the greater ease of returning to the UK, and glossing over the fact that it's actually quite hard to travel to anywhere else if you have children over 12 but under 18.

Grrr.

@ChiefAdjusterOfRubensShorts

DS(14) had his first jab on Thursday and don’t know yet if he’ll be given a second, he also had Covid in January this year.

We’re booked to go to Holland for a weekend in early December and the way I understand it he just needs either a PCR 48 hours before we go or an LFT 24 hours before we go and we need his COVID pass on the NHS app.

I hate to tell you but as he is not fully vaccinated I think he must quarantine for 10 days on arrival.

Presumably schools won’t be able to run any trips either? And no, they’re not essential, but can be useful for those studying languages etc.

yy cactus. DDs only chance to go abroad is with the school next April. DS missed his chances twice due to the pandemic. We will see how it pans out.

Sorry just catching up! Glad to see that others are similarly frustrated - I thought it was just me!!

@ChiefAdjusterOfRubensShorts my understanding of NL rules is the same as @CactusFlowers - quarantine for 10 days unless double jabbed, which pretty much rules out a short trip.

The simplest countries seem to be France, Italy & Spain, which will accept unvaccinated teens with only additional testing. We're not keen to fly for both environmental and covid reasons, so are now looking into France for a December trip and will just top up DD2's covid pass with a test every couple of days.

@SoupDragon - your MP won't be able to do anything to influence foreign governments of course, but they might be able to steer government policy to allow second jabs for at least 16 & 17 year olds (who are starting to be due them about now, but nothing is being offered).

@Sarah2384

I'm going to write to my MP on this and suggest you all do the same.

Do you really think your MP has any control over what is reported in the news?

Or are you suggesting your MP just needs to do the "don't they know who we are" thing and all the EU countries will change their rules to suit?

@Sarah2384 - oops. Should have read the full thread before responding to your post. Yes, that makes sense. Probably makes sense.

@Lucyccfc68

My DS is seriously angry about it. He has had 1 jab and also had covid, but he can’t go to Belgium with his Dad or San Marino with me (have to fly into Italy). If this doesn’t get resolved by November 2022, he will also be barred from going to the World Cup, which he has been saving for, for the last 2 years.

Are you sure about that? Many countries are only giving one shot to people under a certain age (50or so) who have recovered from covid so recovery plus one shot may count as fully vaccinated.

I have the rage too…off to Italy but will have to test every 48 hours…at least we can go though! Although I do wonder how good they will be at actually checking a uk covid vacc proof…we went to theatre in london over weekend and they were “checking” covid passes by just looking at the phone…no checking of the qr code…

MP's might be able to put pressure on our government to speed up and double jab our teens. I know they can do bugger all about other countries requirements.

The reason teenagers aren't getting double jabbed is a medical one. There is a heart related issue that some male teens have got on the second jab, it seems to resolve itself in a few days but there is concern about the long term impact. Therefore health wise most teens don't need the double dose.

It is a pain though for traveling. We're booked for skiing in France in Feb and it will be a pain if we have to go to a pharmacy every other day with teen DS.

@DorotheaDiamond

I have the rage too…off to Italy but will have to test every 48 hours…at least we can go though! Although I do wonder how good they will be at actually checking a uk covid vacc proof…we went to theatre in london over weekend and they were “checking” covid passes by just looking at the phone…no checking of the qr code…

They'll check very thoroughly. In August DD and I were in Rome and she had a negative test done, on the Wednesday at 3pm. On the Friday we went into the Colosseum at 1.30 and the guy said, you've got 90 minutes before this expires. Everywhere from schools/trains/bars have a QR reader and my experience has been that checking is very thorough. Tbh, it makes you feel very safe!

@Geamhradh good to know thank you. How easy was it to find tests?

[quote DorotheaDiamond]@Geamhradh good to know thank you. How easy was it to find tests?[/quote]
Really easy- pop up tents outside most pharmacies with a 20 minute turnaround. Also in all the railway stations. We were in Rome, Florence, Pisa and Siena and they were everywhere. Lots of Americans doing them when we were doing dd's.
We paid €15 but just after that they changed to €8 iirc for kids.

Bizarre thread. I don't see articles about the 10 Best Walking Holidays and get pissed off that I'm disabled. Not everything is about you and your individual situation...

Really @CatJumperTwat - you don't see that an article citing "10 best half term breaks for families" which includes many destinations only families with under-12s can travel to is frustrating and misleading?!

I guess there isn't much fuss because in the scale of the pandemic holidays don't really matter much.

I imagine other countries will ease restrictions once our overall Covid numbers go down.
It is a pain and effectively means only the reasonably well off and highly organised can go on holiday just now if they have a family, but there we go.

@JustDanceAddict

A bit confused re 2nd jab for 17 year olds. Ds had his first 10 days ago, will he not get a second? He said his friends have. Hell def want to travel next summer but will be 18 by then, thankfully.

(Sorry posted this on the other thread too) but my 17 (and 5 months) year old son had his second vaccination this morning. I called up a pharmacy and they agreed to vaccinate him if that had Pfizer open that day. Our walk in centre also says it vaccinates any 16 plus year old for second jabs, provided it's 8 weeks after the first one.

Lots of his friends got their second vaccinations at various local drop in clinics (not coming up to 18 nor immunosuppressed) so it must be fairly widespread.

I think parents should have the choice to give the second vaccinations (having understood the heightened myocarditis risk) as it makes travel really tricky otherwise. We've chosen Switzerland over France for skiing as they had more generous rules around not fully vaccinated under 16s.

I can only assume that no travel journalist has 12-16 year olds.

As of yesterday no school in our Local Authority or the neighbouring one appears to have had any Covid jabs administered (unless they aren't recorded in the daily vaccine stats, which seems unlikely). As far as I am aware no other country is just giving children one dose (so most countries will expect that).

DD's school isn't doing any overseas trips for a third year in a row (typically French/German/Spanish exchanges plus skiing at Easter, Sports tours and an activity week on offer). It's saving us a lot of money, but it is such a shame.

We've booked a UK holiday for 2022.

Bramshott Only if you think everything must cater to you and your individual circumstances. Which I don't.

It's not just being unable to travel with 12-17yo. I can't take my 11yo to Germany to visit her brother because she has to quarantine for five days on arrival. I could take her 14yo brother because he has had Covid but only if he travels on his Irish passport - they won't accept UK national teens who have had Covid. So frustrating.

Well me and 4.5 million 12-17 year olds and their families I guess... I think we'll have to disagree on this one.

I'm not sure if this helps anyone - I found this while browsing for tests..

www.c19testing.co.uk/rapidtravel

It's home lateral flow tests that you just upload a picture and get a certificate - I wonder if it's useable as the 48 hourly test proof needed to be allowed access to things without a green pass...am trying to find out!

@DorotheaDiamond

I'm not sure if this helps anyone - I found this while browsing for tests..

www.c19testing.co.uk/rapidtravel

It's home lateral flow tests that you just upload a picture and get a certificate - I wonder if it's useable as the 48 hourly test proof needed to be allowed access to things without a green pass...am trying to find out!

Not in Italy. There are no DIY tests here, but I don't know about other countries.

@rookiemere, not sure tbh. If an Italian 16 year old has to have 2 doses to be fully vaccinated, the Italian govt isn't going to say "but a British kid coming on holiday is OK with just one" or there'd be an outcry. I think it's more likely that the UK vaccination plan will fall in line with other countries, or, ultimately ALL restrictions between ALL countries with fairly low numbers will be dropped. But don't think that will be yet.