Vaccinated travellers to skip quarantine

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/jun/16/vaccinated-british-travellers-could-skip-quarantine-on-return-under-new-plans

Apologies if there's already another thread on this. What are people's thoughts? I think the government are coming under increasing pressure to stop the travel industry from folding, and perhaps see this as the answer at least in the short term.

I think they will still require people to test when returning, and it doesn't solve the problem for double vaccinated adults with kids, unless there's some kind of exemption. But overall I think it's positive news. There's been lots on social media from younger people asking why they should be vaccinated if it doesn't get them any additional freedom, which is a fair point. This is certainly an incentive (accepting that there are those who can't have the vaccine for whatever reason, and this policy would have to cover off those people).

I'm assuming kids would be exempt?

I think this is the way forward. We are due to go to France in August. As it stands I am booked for my second vaccine the day we travel. I think I need to be two weeks clear, so am going to have to try and bring it forward - nervous about cancelling it though!

Think this is an excellent idea. What is the point of being vaccinated if they dont do something like this?

Having said that the anti vaxxers etc will be out in force I suspect demanding their human rights to travel where they like without getting a vaccine.

Thing is that the Boris and co can say its a rule of the country they are travelling too as well. I certainly dont have an issue showing my vaccine passport to whomever to get me out of the UK.

Salty - I know you will need to cancel the current appointment but I have heard as long as you are flexible where you have the vaccine you should be fine. Its only if you are wanting to have it a particular place that there might be issues.

My DS age 23 booked yesterday for a jab today and is now in the queue at the hub. West Midlands though and there are LOADS of hubs there. He wasnt fussy where he went.

My husband seems to think children are not exempt 🙁

If that's true not alot of point trying to change mine 🙁

Great idea. I don’t imagine that kids would/should be exempt though

Regardless of what they do they wont cover/satisfy everyone's requirements. At the very least they need to kick start travel rather than wait until everyone is vaccinated. It could also help the Border Force who certainly dont want a huge surge of people at the borders in one go.

I am also not sure whether kids should be exempt. Whether that is fair is another question but rather than try and cover every eventuality it would be best to let people who meet the requirements travel.

You're right @Franklin12 - have already seen lots of ani-vax type comments along the lines of 'what about my right to decide not to have the vaccine.' That's fine - just accept the consequences of what that means.

Fingers crossed. I’m longing to go abroad.

If they are hoping to save the travel industry by saving foreign summer holidays, forcing children to quarantine won't do it. A huge proportion of the double vaxxed will also have children, so for them this relaxation won't help. You'd still have to effectively quarantine to look after your children.

I heard on radio that under 18 would be exempt as the vaccine isn't offered or licensed for them at the moment so there is no way they could be vaccinated! I think this is much fairer as long as they are travelling with adults who are fully vaccinated seems like a good plan.

Well obviously those who are fully vaccinated shouldn't have to quarantine. It's a ridiculous situation at the moment.
I don't know what they should do about children.

@mumofthree22

I heard on radio that under 18 would be exempt as the vaccine isn't offered or licensed for them at the moment so there is no way they could be vaccinated! I think this is much fairer as long as they are travelling with adults who are fully vaccinated seems like a good plan.

It should be about risk, not fairness. If a group is lower risk of transmitting to others they could be exempt I.e. fully vaccinated individuals. We’ve seen through recent testing that kids can pick up and transmit COVID, so there’s no reason to suspect that just because their parents are vaccinated that the kids are lower risk of passing it to friends/neighbours/others in the community. Unless there’s a robust testing programme in lieu of quarantine I wouldn’t be in favour of an exemption for unvaccinated people

Hancock has been quoted saying this change isn't coming in 'soon' - they give with one hand, and then take away with the other. They are worried about people whinging about discrimination. Something has to give before the airlines collapse, it's ridiculous.

I suspect they want more data from returning travellers - the amber list test booking requests your vaccination status, so likely if a returning traveller’s sample tests positive they would check vaccination status

Well obviously those who are fully vaccinated shouldn't have to quarantine.

I agree. That's the whole point of being vaccinated! Fine to take a test, just in case, but no way should double vaccinated people have to isolate for 10 days!!

France is counting 'children' as 11 and under, so this doesn't help if you have teens.

Does anyone know if the 14 days after your second vaccination is from the date you return?
I’m due mine 10 days before we leave for Greece and we’ll be there for 10 days so past the 14 days when we return so hoping we won’t have to quarantine.

@FizzyPink @SaltySeaAir can you bring the jab forward? If you go on the NHS booking website, it tells what availability there is before you cancel your existing appointment now.

@FizzyPink I think the 14 days applies from the date you enter the country.

They have to at some point

Might as well be now - the more they stagger out the numbers going on holiday, the less of a nightmare it will be for the rest of us

Have they decided now that the vaccinated don't spread it then? So why do we need to follow any restrictions?

It makes no sense at all to exempt children if schools really were/are a hotbed of transmission, but I don't see how such a system could be lawfully implemented where parts of the population haven't been given the opportunity, so I guess they'd have to be.

Mostly though it matters not atm because regardless of what our rules are, the other countries need to let us in and if their populations aren't vaccinated, we'll still be a threat.

I have already moved it forwards by 3 weeks and the date we’ve got is the earliest it shows me. I’ll keep checking though

Greece now say 12 and above need tests if not double faxed and 14 days free. So for the three of us that means my DH will need to test going out but the coming back is still so vague.