To be miffed my kid needs a paid covid test to go away, when vaccination wasn’t possible.

[Eeksteek]

Kid is recently 12. She had her first vaccine as soon as it was allowed for under 12s in April. But she can’t have her second until after she comes back from her school trip to France at the end of June, because it hasn’t been 12 weeks. It feels really unfair that I have to shell out £70 for a test when there’s nothing else I could have done. It’s a lot of money to me at the moment (my mum paid for her to go, and obviously I couldn’t plan for or choose the dates)

I know it won’t affect many kids, but it’s bloody typical it affects us. I swear we have fallen down every covid support crack there is. Just moaning, really. I’m getting the dirty end of the stick a lot at the moment, and it’s one thing too many today. It’ll only be her second overnight ever and we are both really looking forward to it (for entirely different reasons!) so I’ll find it somehow, but man I could do without it!

[orwellwasright]

It's really frustrating isn't it. It's a similar situation to not having the vaccine because you've had covid too recently. These blanket policies will always penalise a few unfortunately.

Is £70 your only option?

[GabriellaMontez]

£70! Shop around.

[PAFMO]

£70?
Somebody is ripping you off.

[DazzlePaintedBattlePants]

Randox Certifly are only about £15 delivered!

[Parpophone]

Who has told you £70?
LFT with a certificate is fine.
Last time we ordered one it was £12.50 (simplytestme)

[TulipCat]

Welcome to the world of massive travel discrimination against 12 year olds! It's been going on the whole pandemic and has scuppered many family travel plans. It is crap.

[KermitlovesKeyLimePie]

My DS17 couldn't have the vaccine due to his SN (we could'nt keep him still enough to get the needle in) and we are going to the USA 3 weeks today.

The test we have booked with Loyds pharmacy is £30 and will be done 24 hours before as per the restrictions.

Yes, it's a pain but if it gets us there, it's worth every penny.

£70 you are being seriously ripped off

[Scianel]

You get get a self-administered antigen test for around the £15 mark, why do you want to pay 70?
The guidelines on the schedule are there for a reason, your child's health is more important than a few quid.

[dementedpixie]

It's LFT or PCR
I'm sure LFT will not cost £70

[ConnectedToSandsview]

Surely If you don’t like the covid policies of a country, you choose a different destination?

[axolotlfloof]

We paid about £15 each for kids lfts for France.
I would choose that over a vaccination for my kids.

[FeebasAquarium]

Is it worth mentioning it to school? For dds school trip to France and Belgium, out of the 100 going, a lot haven’t had both vaccinations.
The school are arranging the testing people to come in - certainly isn’t £70 either - to save the hassle of them all needing the test within 24 hours of travelling.

[TulipCat]

@ConnectedToSandsview

Surely If you don’t like the covid policies of a country, you choose a different destination?

Oh bore off. It's not about "not liking" the covid policy. OP is encountering a common difficulty that parents of 12 year olds have which is that they need to comply with a set of rules it is impossible to comply with. It is really poorly thought through, rather like your officious response.

[balalake]

Shop around as suggested.

Much as it was unpopular amongst many in France, I'd have preferred their response to Covid than the corrupt self seeking one we had here. Sixteen thousand fewer deaths even with their more dense housing in major cities.

[zoop1]

It is unlucky timing, but it needn't cost anything like £70!
According the UK Government advice at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements,
"If you’re not fully vaccinated: From 31 March 2022, travellers from the UK aged 12 years and over who are not fully vaccinated need to provide: A negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours or an antigen test result taken within 48 hours pre-departure."
There are numerous suppliers that can offer certified antigen (i.e. Lateral Flow Tests) for travel for less than £20, e.g. www.assuredscreening.com/lateral-flow-antigen-tests/, which is on the list of government approved providers for COVID testing, and has certified tests for £13.99
HTH

[LilacPoppy]

You can have the vaccine 8 weeks apart .

[dementedpixie]

For children it's 12 weeks

[LondonQueen]

We paid £15 for ours. Shop around.

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

If you want LFTs doing there and then, with results and a certificate in 15 mins, high street pharmacies (Boots, Lloyds, etc.) do them for about £30

[SoupDragon]

OP is encountering a common difficulty that parents of 12 year olds have which is that they need to comply with a set of rules it is impossible to comply with

it isn't impossible to comply at all. Vaccination or test. It's not "vaccination or can't go".

[Carrotten]

It's not impossible to comply. The child needs a lateral flow, which is about £15. Think ours was 30 recently with results in 30 mins, but could have got it cheaper. Travel is not a necessity, its hardly like accessing the GP. It's a perfectly reasonable rule

[LilacPoppy]

@dementedpixie you can get childrens 8 weeks apart.

[Eeksteek]

School said PCR, recommended a place for £70. I’ve since found a place for £39 and phone school to check if it’s ok. It’s a fit to fly test (but they aren’t flying). Tbh I don’t think school know what they are talking about. But it’ll be their boots on the ground, so it needs to be what they ask for.

I’ll look at the postal ones. Thanks all. I wouldn’t usually be bothered, but I’m utterly broke and it’s a big deal atm.

[whatnumber]

Glad hoo posted this as it's all so confusing!
We are going Cyprus and France this year and I didn't have a good reaction to my first two vaccines so don't want the booster. I have also had covid twice (after vaccines) so don't feel the need to boost yet (maybe winter time). So I am classes as unvaccinated!
Cyprus says you have to have an in clinic test but France doesn't say that.
So France will accept the home tests then?

[whatnumber]

Also my son has a recovery certificate which will cover Cyprus but not France it seems?!