To think it should be possible to take a just turned 12 year old to Spain?

[needabreak5]

We have a holiday booked for Easter. The family we are going with are now saying they won't be able to come because their 11 year old (who turns 12 three weeks before flight), won't have been fully vaccinated so Spain won't allow entry? Surely there must be an exemption. They have a 14 year old who'll be fully vaccinated and a 9 year old who doesn't need vaccinated. It doesn't seem right that they other 2 kids are fine to go but the middle one can't!

I live in Spain. There is no flexibility. They have to be vaccinated (unless a resident of Spain ) in Europe kids from 5 have been vaccinated for a while so all have the EU covid passport.

If you look in your nhs app you can go to your and your kids gp and get their vaccination status linked to your app. Haven’t done this yet but plan to

in Europe kids from 5 have been vaccinated for a while so all have the EU covid passport.

Have they? I thought the vast majority of EU countries only started rolling it out in Dec & some only extended to not just vulnerable kids end Dec plus I believe the majority are following the 3 wk gap.

I don't know if anyone else has said this but I've heard of kids being vaccinated because they are "carers". I put that in inverted commas because they're not. They just said they were and got the vaccine

and the data doesn't show high numbers of under 10s have had the vaccine I think Denmark has the highest uptake & they started earlier.

[quote needabreak5]@Finallylostit I was thinking this, I wonder if they just turn up and ask in the next few days there is any chance they could get a vaccine even though they are 11 years old?[/quote]
We have already asked that as we have a link with the local organisers locally. There is no chance of that happening and no plans to change the policy by then so that particular age won't be vaccinated. If you carefully check you may well find that Spain's rules change though and a negative PCR will be required as an alternative. Go into the travel agent rather than just check the website, sometimes the info online isn't updated.

www.facebook.com/100064516637663/posts/303170828510136/

Explains it all quite coearky. There are also time limits on vaccination. Don't get caught our

Most children (depending on country ) in the EU were offered vaccination before they started school in September

I assume though there is no issues if a child travels to Spain for a holiday just (a day or so) before their 12th birthday? Obviously will be 12 when they return to the UK.

They can get into Spain if under 12 and unvaccinated, yes. Then once in Spain, it depends on which area you go to and what rules they have. My home region requires a vaccination or recovery certificate (with scannable QR code, doctor’s letter doesn’t suffice) for restaurants, museums, theatres and all other indoor venues. So if the child turns 12 whilst out there, they’d be limited as to what activities they can join in.

@maddy68

Most children (depending on country ) in the EU were offered vaccination before they started school in September

Really? The EU drugs regulator didn't approve the use of Pfizer’s vaccine for 5-11 year olds until November.

Everywhere I've read state that most EU countries didn't start vaccinating 5-11 year olds from at least mid-December if not later.

@maddy68

Most children (depending on country ) in the EU were offered vaccination before they started school in September

Over 12s did. 5-11 year olds began vaccination in December, shortly after the jab was licensed for that group.

Secondary children are now boosted in many countries, primary children are approaching full vaccination status.

@EileenGC

I assume though there is no issues if a child travels to Spain for a holiday just (a day or so) before their 12th birthday? Obviously will be 12 when they return to the UK.

They can get into Spain if under 12 and unvaccinated, yes. Then once in Spain, it depends on which area you go to and what rules they have. My home region requires a vaccination or recovery certificate (with scannable QR code, doctor’s letter doesn’t suffice) for restaurants, museums, theatres and all other indoor venues. So if the child turns 12 whilst out there, they’d be limited as to what activities they can join in.

Thanks. How though do they tell a child is 12 rather than just under 12?

A 11 year old from the UK wouldn't usually have any vaccinations certificates and I wouldn't necessarily take their passport (they have no other ID) on a day out.

Impossible for those resident in UK. Not for everyone.

Yes, I know... My point was that excluding a small minority of 12 year old children from one country is not for Covid safety, as a PP had stated.

@newname12345 they would ask for ID. It is the law in Spain to carry proof of ID with you at all times, or be able to show it within X hours at your local police station if you’re stopped on a run, for example, and don’t have it on you. This applies to tourists as well.

Kids and adults have ID cards which are checked against your Covid pass to see that details match. Even if British kids don’t usually carry ID at home, they are expected to do it in a country where it is the law. As are their parents. That’s how they would check their ages.

Thanks @lurker101.

Thanks for the warning @Legodout. That's frustrating! Sorry you are in that position.

I still think we can't make it. The recovery certificate issued by a GP does not have QR code, does it? That could scupper things.

But @RonCarlos it's not as if they are being excluded on purpose. They unfortunately fall out of line with most other countries because the UK has chosen to self-exclude.

Not wanting to be cynical, but it smacks of a cheap tactic to make people in the UK believe the EU is being mean, so Johnson and company are slowly 'forgiven' for bexit's fallout.

This was published today - don't know if it will help anyone here (and I can't even read it in full as I don't have a subscription!)

[[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boost-for-family-holidays-as-europe-changes-entry-rules-tpx3qgp3j][

[quote EileenGC]@newname12345 they would ask for ID. It is the law in Spain to carry proof of ID with you at all times, or be able to show it within X hours at your local police station if you’re stopped on a run, for example, and don’t have it on you. This applies to tourists as well.

Kids and adults have ID cards which are checked against your Covid pass to see that details match. Even if British kids don’t usually carry ID at home, they are expected to do it in a country where it is the law. As are their parents. That’s how they would check their ages.[/quote]
Its only the law for Spanish citizens aged 14 or over to have an ID card so I am struggling to see how a 11/12 year old has to carry proof of ID with them at all times. Hence my question.

My point was that excluding a small minority of 12 year old children from one country is not for Covid safety, as a PP had stated.

I agree

@newname12345 I know the law and that it isn't compulsory to own an ID card until 14, but in reality there are very, very few children who don't have one. Covid passes are checked against ID, so all children who are vaccinated will be presenting ID for entry to places, even if they're younger than 14. This dilemma is such a non-issue in Spain because everybody has the card, even under 14s.

11/12 year old British tourists would not be asked for ID on the street, that's true. But they would need it to gain entry to indoor venues where a vaccination pass is required.

Most children (depending on country ) in the EU were offered vaccination before they started school in September

@maddy68 really for under 12s?

Do you have a source for that?

primary children are approaching full vaccination status.

@EileenGC what age are you classing as primary?

@dorkfink I'm classing primary as 6-12 year olds.

@EscapeTheCastle

How do you prove vaccination status for this age group anyway?

The process is changing before half term. You will be able to request one for 12+ via the NHS app. I think it's a printed one, so it will be posted to you.

But @RonCarlos it's not as if they are being excluded on purpose. They unfortunately fall out of line with most other countries because the UK has chosen to self-exclude. Not wanting to be cynical, but it smacks of a cheap tactic to make people in the UK believe the EU is being mean, so Johnson and company are slowly 'forgiven' for bexit's fallout.

Erm, that's a bit of a leap. Actually most of us do blame our government for not thinking about children and travel earlier. Hence all the fuss about Covid travel passes.

I maintain that Spain could make it 12 years 2 months fairly easily, like France has. But it has chosen not to and it's not the evil UK government this will affect but a small number of normal families who had already booked holidays prior to the rules changing. (Who are entitled to feel frustrated by a seemingly arbitrary rule that excludes them).

@RonCarlos

They have a made a decision that keeping covid under control is more important

No they have made an administrative decision which means anyone can now go there, unless they are 12 years and 1, 2 or 3 months, when it is impossible to be fully vaccinated.

It's impossible in the UK.

It isn't impossible in Spain, much of the EU and in many other countries across the world.

Countries will make their rules based on what works for them.

The number of tourists it will affect will be fairly small, compared to overall tourism to the country.

I think it's the uK that's the outlier regarding 11-12 year olds.