Covishield for France

[smogsville]

Posted this in travel but it must be quiet in there at the moment.

Has anyone been to France recently? I'm trying to find out how much checking is going on to see if travellers have had one of the Covishield AZ batches.

DH is the only one in our party of six adults who's had one of the three batches. Going at end of the month. I'd love to know what the checking procedure is.

TIA.

I’ve had it too, so following.

Absolute shit show.

If you can get an answer, please shout. There are an army of us on Twitter trying to get a simple answer - there isn't one.

We are supposed to go at the end of the month - I'm the only affected one of our group and I have no idea whether they are checking batch numbers because they refuse to say. Anecdotally, they don't seem to be but it would be good to have some clarity.

There is however, speculation that France may go onto the red list at the next review (5th August) which would mean we'd have to race home and miss half of our holiday in order to avoid hotel quarantine.

I'm starting to think we should save the £2k in tests and all of the stress and just not go - for the second year in a row.

There is an army....wish there was an edit button!

I know a family where Mum and Dad both had the affected batch. They went to France this week and as far as I am aware had no problems getting in.

@Panicmode1 £2k in test? Is it really that much? How many do you need?

Everywhere is accepting them don't worry. Malta said they were then they werent they they were again. France is fine.

*www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements
Vaccination status
The French Government recognises the following vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson (the vaccines recognised by the European Medical Agency). “Fully vaccinated” is defined by the completion of a vaccination schedule, specifically:

2 weeks after the second dose of Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca
4 weeks after the single and only dose of Johnson & Johnson
2 weeks after the single dose of any of the above vaccines if you have previously tested positive for COVID-19*

My parents travelled on Saturday with my DD having had the Indian one. No one was interested in that. Just the negative PCR test.

This is sounding positive thanks everyone! Poor DH I have visions of him having to get our at Folkestone and wave us off (with me driving - I don't think so)!

Following as DH is in same boat (or not if he gets turned away at the ferry port!).

Brittany ferries tweeted that they are not currently asking staff to check vaccine batch numbers.

The possible turn to red is a real worry though.

Following as well as due to go next week on the tunnel and DS had one of the affected batches.

@Panicmode1

If you can get an answer, please shout. There are an army of us on Twitter trying to get a simple answer - there isn't one.

We are supposed to go at the end of the month - I'm the only affected one of our group and I have no idea whether they are checking batch numbers because they refuse to say. Anecdotally, they don't seem to be but it would be good to have some clarity.

There is however, speculation that France may go onto the red list at the next review (5th August) which would mean we'd have to race home and miss half of our holiday in order to avoid hotel quarantine.

I'm starting to think we should save the £2k in tests and all of the stress and just not go - for the second year in a row.

Hi @Panicmode1 - why would France go onto the red list? Not disputing this, just intrigued. We seem to be allowing domestic Covid a free rein but don't want the risk of returning with Covid from countries with lower infection rates. I don't understand the logic.

Lol @avocadoadvantage for your boat joke

@Stilltalkstotrees I have NO idea - but apparently it was mentioned on Sky news last night (which I didn't watch!) but one of the people I am discussing this with on Twitter messaged me. He is going next Saturday, we are going the one afterwards, so we are both a bit nervous and trying to comb news sources.

It would make no sense to me if it did, but who knows with this mess of a govt in charge!!

(And all of the anecdotes above sound great - I was thinking that the key is going to be the negative PCR tests - we are trying to go into semi isolation when the children finish school until we test!)

@theemmadilemma - there are 8 of us going - so x 8 for fit to fly PCRs on the way out, PCR tests in France 3 days before returning and Day 2 PCR tests on return.....!

I know of someone who has both her doses with the Indian batch who flew to France this past Saturday and had zero issues. I personally called BA couple of days ago just to check what they say and I was told they are not checking batch numbers. If your vaccine is Vaxzevria then you are good to go. Also read on another forum that eurotunnel not stopping that batch number and dfds are following official French guidelines and at the moment they are not saying to stop anyone with a certain batch number.

@SoOvethis I could kiss you - THANK you! It's so hard to get ANY concrete information.

(I'm currently being told on Nextdoor that there are no Indian batches in the UK, that I'm completely wrong and that the NHS have said that there is nothing to worry about, we all had Vaxzeria so what on earth am I talking about.....!)

@Panicmode1
Well that might be true. But I have just followed what’s in the media and they have made it seem otherwise, while obviously the government has made it very clear that there is no difference in the batches. I think that’s the guidance you need to follow.

But clearly there was no smoke without fire!

Ah - this explains the France issue @Panicmode1

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/france-red-list-travel-b946083.html

More seems to be trickling out about France. A decision within days… news.sky.com/story/covid-19-ministers-to-decide-if-france-will-be-moved-to-red-travel-list-within-days-12357257

Which secondary schools are still in next Friday?! Ours finished today, private schools 2 weeks ago. There is NO logical reason to do this....!

I'd have thought it more likely France will stop letting Brits in if cases keep rising

Uk have imposed quarantine on everyone returning from France, even if double jabbed, so that's it for us.....

And us @Panicmode1 😢

@Panicmode1 - I’m in Surrey and our schools due to finish next Friday. We are finished already as DS has Covid

So sorry @twobluefish - I'm gutted, even though I knew it was a risk and we might have to rush back half way through at the next review, I really thought we would make it, even for a week. :-(