Jabbed Brits still face two-week quarantine in Portugal as officials refuse to accept Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccine
BRIT holidaymakers jabbed with Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccines still face two weeks quarantine in Portugal after the government failed to change travel rules, it’s reported.
Up to five million people in the UK were given the Serum Institute of India (SII)-produced doses – but 13 European countries don’t recognise them.
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The jabs aren’t accepted by the European Medicines Agency and so aren’t included on the EU’s vaccine passport.
Portugal requires travellers not double jabbed with a recognised Covid vaccine to quarantine for 14 days.
The government launched an unsuccessful bid to change the quarantine rule, The Telegraph reports.
Although mainland Portugal insisted on 14 days quarantine, Madeira announced last month it would allow Brits into the country even if they have had a batch of the SII-manufactured vaccines.
HOLIDAY CHAOS
Brits travelling to Poland or Romania also have to quarantine if they aren’t jabbed with authorised vaccines.
It comes as Boris Johnson rejected calls for a new “Amber Watchlist” travel tier and called for holiday advice to be made “as simple as possible” for Brits heading abroad.
The EU certificate allows citizens to travel more freely if they have been fully vaccinated with one of four approved shots, had a recent negative test result or have immunity after previously having the virus.
Last month, A British couple vaccinated with the Indian-produced batch of AstraZeneca were barred from boarding a flight to Malta.
Steve and Glenda Hardy, 64 and 63, were “gutted” after not being allowed on at Manchester Airport.
If the vaccine is good enough to be accepted for use in the UK, we need to see the Government pushing these countries further to accept UK visitors who have had it
Paul Charles, PC Agency
The Indian-made AZ vaccines are identifiable by numbers – 4120Z001, 4120Z002, 4120Z003 – on recipients’ cards after they’re jabbed.
Numbers can be seen on recipients’ cards after they have been jabbed.
They also feature on the Covid travel pass on the NHS App which is currently being used as a digital vaccination certificate for foreign travel.
Of the 13 countries that don’t accept the Serum Institute jabs, Denmark bans travellers not double dosed with an approved vaccine.
But most EU countries – including France and Croatia – now recognise the Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccines.
It’s thought they may be accepted by September, leaving Brits who have been dosed with the jabs able to enjoy quarantine-free travel.
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An EU spokesman told The Telegraph: “Several member states have not yet finalised their positions regarding the correspondence of vaccines for the purpose of travel.
“As soon as they will have done so, we will publish a list of corresponding vaccines on the ReopenEU website.”
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: “If the vaccine is good enough to be accepted for use in the UK, we need to see the Government pushing these countries further to accept UK visitors who have had it.”