A COVID vaccination is to be rolled out across the UK next week, with the elderly and NHS workers given priority.
The news of the vaccine has provided hope for holidaymakers that a trip abroad may be able to go ahead again soon – here is everything you need to know about the vaccine regarding travelling.
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What is the vaccine?
The jab – which is 95 per cent effective and developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German firm BioNTech – is safe for use, health regulators say.
The drug has been backed by independent regulator the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The initial 800,000 doses, covering 400,000 people, will be available from next week after final checks at the manufacturing warehouse in Belgium today.
The first to get the jabs will be those in care homes, as well as anyone over the age of 80 and NHS frontline workers.
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When will I be able to get it?
The vaccine will be given out to people in this order:
1. Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
2. All those 80 years of age and over, Frontline health and social care workers
3. All those 75 years of age and over
4. All those 70 years of age and over, Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
5. All those 65 years of age and over
6. All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health
conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and
mortality
7. All those 60 years of age and over
8. All those 55 years of age and over
9. All those 50 years of age and over
The rest of the population is yet to be determined.
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Will it mean I can go on holiday?
Countries are yet to explain whether this means travellers will be able to go abroad freely, without coronavirus tests of quarantine.
Qantas is the only airline to require passengers to have the vaccine to be able to fly.
However, holiday destinations are likely to keep their travel restrictions in place until numbers begin to drop again.
It does allow holidaymakers to look at holidays in the future, however, with more hope giving the industry a boom in bookings.
The Maldives, the Canary Islands and Turkey have all seen a jump in interest for summer 2021 in recent months.
Tour operators have warned holidaymakers to book trips now, as prices will only go up when the vaccine is rolled out.
Brits could also be given ‘vaccine stamps’ in their passport to enable them to travel in the future.
The Department of Transport has put forward the suggestion for when international travel picks up again next year, according to The Telegraph.
