It will be easier to travel for business in 2022 after news that the NHS app will start showing ramp-ups in the coming days.
The Covid travel card included on the app is expected to start showing proof of a third dose. The change is designed to help older adults traveling to European countries, which have already begun imposing restrictions on people who have not received booster shots.
Proof of boosters will initially be limited to the travel portion of the NHS Covid card rather than domestic certification. However, the change makes it easier for the government to use boosters as a requirement for vaccine passports in the country, after Boris Johnson hinted that only people who have had all three shots will be considered cleared. fully vaccinated.
So far, 13.9 million people have had a boost in the UK, with another 384,421 reported yesterday. The current plan is to make them available to 40 million people over 40.
A digital card containing a QR code that can be scanned when proof of vaccination is required, especially at the border.
Some countries have also begun requiring proof of a booster hit to enter indoor locations. France said that from the middle of next month, people over 65 without confirmed proof will not be allowed to enter any indoor locations, including museums, trains, restaurants and bars.
Other countries, including Austria, Croatia, Switzerland and Israel, are imposing time limits on vaccination status. There will be travel restrictions for people who received a second dose nine months to a year ago and have not had a third dose. The travel industry has pressed ministers to allow people to demonstrate on the app that they already have a booster. Jeremy Hunt, the former health minister, is among those who have urged ministers to remove “bureaucratic barriers” and allow people to prove their status.
Johnson said on Monday that the government would “plan to add a booster dose to the NHS Covid travel card”.
It is understood that the change is expected to appear on the app within the next week, possibly as early as today.
Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, an advocacy group for older adults, welcomed the change.
“Obviously it will benefit people going abroad for Christmas this year – there will be less anxiety,” he said. “It would be very helpful not only for overseas travel, but also if the vaccine certification is brought in for anything else, it could be in plan B. Obviously additional shots are needed. must be on the NHS app for that.”
The change will not immediately apply to domestic Covid cards, which are not required anywhere by law, but ministers have encouraged large events and crowded venues to use. The government insists it is not currently necessary to switch to a plan B for the winter, which includes mandatory vaccine passports.
However, Health Minister Sajid Javid hinted last week that he would not rule out following the French model and banning people from going to pubs and restaurants if they don’t have a booster.
Johnson also signaled the possibility of tougher regulations on Monday as he encouraged people to get a third shot, saying “we’re going to have to adjust our conception of what constitutes vaccination full”. He added: “A common lesson for anyone looking to travel, you may find that getting a full vaccination and booster shot is something that will make your life easier in all respects. face”.
There are also calls for the app to allow children to prove their immunization status. People under 16 cannot download Covid cards, making it difficult for them to travel in countries that require proof of vaccination.
France and Italy both require anyone over the age of 12 to have a vaccine passport to enter most places, meaning parents will have to pay for regular tests. So far, a third of British children aged 12 to 15 have been vaccinated.
