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READER QUESTIONS

Reader question: I’ve only had one vaccine dose in France after Covid recovery so what are my travel options?

In France the vaccination policy is that if you have previously had Covid and recovered, you only need a single dose of the vaccine - but not all countries accept this as 'fully vaccinated', leading to problems travelling.

Reader question: I've only had one vaccine dose in France after Covid recovery so what are my travel options?
One little prick is not enough for the UK. Photo: Martin Bureau/AFP

Question: I have had Covid and recovered, so I only got a single dose of Pfizer. In France I am counted as fully vaccinated and I can use the health passport with no problems, but I want to travel to see family in the UK and it seems that they don’t accept this. What should I do?

Although the UK has finally agreed to recognise as “fully vaccinated” those people who had mixed dose vaccines in EU countries, it seems there is no change for recovered Covid patients who had a single dose.

The UK rules state: “If you were vaccinated with a 2 dose vaccine (such as Moderna or Pfizer) you must have had both doses to be considered fully vaccinated. This applies in all cases, even if you have recently recovered from COVID-19 and have natural immunity. Those who have had COVID-19 and have only had one dose of a 2 dose vaccine must follow the rules for unvaccinated arrivals.”

The Local has asked for clarity on whether this is likely to change, but this does not seem to be included in the relaxation of UK rules in October.  Those rules state: “You must have had a complete course of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England.” So in other words two doses of Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca.

Those who had this type of vaccination only really have four options, and none of them are perfect.

Quarantine

The British rules as read at present state that you must quarantine. This quarantine can be done at home or at the home of a friend or relative, but you must stay indoors for 10 days after arrival with ‘Day 1’ beginning the day after you arrive.

In addition to this you must pay for two sets of post-arrival tests – a Day 2 test and a Day 8 test – which are likely to set you back more than £100.

If you are staying for less than 10 days you must quarantine for the length of your stay and must still pay for both the Day 2 and the Day 8 test – even if you leave before Day 8.

You have the option of paying extra for a Day 5 test and ending your quarantine early, although be warned that you can only end the quarantine when you get the result of the Day 5 test, not on Day 5 itself, and some travellers have reported long waits to get their results and be able to leave quarantine.

Get an extra vaccine dose in France

In order to be considered fully vaccinated under UK travel rules, we know some people in France are resorting to getting a second dose of the vaccine.

The Local asked the French health ministry if this was possible and were told that it was not officially considered necessary.

However several readers have reported being able to get an extra vaccine by simply booking an appointment at a vaccine centre and explaining their situation to staff there.

There are no reported health concerns about having a second dose of vaccine when you have already had Covid, indeed in some countries this is the official policy.

Travel anyway 

Most checking of vaccine certificates is done in France before you board your transport, and staff at airports, ports etc use the TousAntiCovid vérif app, which simply checks whether you are ‘fully vaccinated’ or not. Since Covid recovery plus one dose is fully vaccinated as far as France is concerned, you would show up as validé on their database.

However there is a potential risk.

To enter the UK you also have to fill in the Passenger Locator Form which requires you to declare that you are fully vaccinated with two doses.

According to the UK rules anyone found to have lied on their form is guilty of a criminal offence and faces a fines of up to £10,000 or a jail term (although this has never been tested).

Don’t go

This is not much help to people who have loved ones in the UK who they are desperate to see, we know.

But if you’re looking at travel for leisure or tourism purposes, you can go anywhere in the EU or Schengen zone and your French vaccination status will be recognised. We hear Italy is nice. 

Are you affected by this issue? Get in touch with The Local and we will raise your concerns with the UK authorities – contact us at [email protected]

Member comments

  1. Hi there,

    Do you know if this is still the policy in regards to the most recent rule changes? If people from the UK have had a single vaccine then recovered from Covid, are they classed as fully vaccinated when entering France?

    Thank you

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For members

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

How Paris’s Olympic carpool lanes will work 

Throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games periods, some 185km of lanes on roads around Paris will be reserved for event-related traffic – here’s what you need to know.

How Paris’s Olympic carpool lanes will work 

Between July 15th and September 11th, ‘Olympic lanes’ will be in use along certain stretches of key roads in and around Paris.

These lanes will be reserved for use by accredited vehicles to transport athletes, accredited journalists and official delegations, as well as emergency and security vehicles, cabs, ambulances and public transport.

READ ALSO Apps, reservations and flying taxis: What to know before visiting Paris this summer

The lanes will be activated on July 15, on the following roads:

  • A1 between Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Porte de la Chapelle, until September 11th;
  • A4 between Collégien and Porte de Bercy until August 13th, then from August 30th to September 8th;
  • A12 between Rocquencourt and Montigny le Bretonneux until August 13th, and again from August 27th to September 8th;
  • A13 between Porte Maillot and Rocquencourt until August 13th, then from August 27th to September 8th;
  • Boulevard périphérique, from Porte de Vanves to Porte de Bercy, via the north until August 13th, then from August 22th to September 11th;
  • Boulevard Circulaire (La Défense) until August 13th, then from August 22nd to September 11th;
  • Lanes on certain routes in Paris.

None of these roads will be closed – lanes along these routes that are not reserved for Olympic or Paralympic Games traffic are open to road users as usual.

The lanes in question will be signposted – signs, clearly marked with the words “Paris 2024”, will be in place from July 1st, and will be removed by the end of the day on September 15h. 

READ ALSO How to use Paris public transport during the Olympics

Who can use dedicated Olympic lanes?

Only vehicles and road users that have been properly accredited by the Organising Committee of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games can travel along these lanes during the periods indicated above. 

They include:

  • vehicles of accredited persons;
  • cabs;
  • public transport vehicles;
  • vehicles designed to facilitate the transport of people with reduced mobility;
  • and emergency and security vehicles.

READ ALSO Who needs a QR code to get around Paris during the Olympics

All other vehicles are prohibited from using these lanes throughout the Olympic Games period. Any vehicle circulating on an Olympic lane without having received prior authorisation is liable to a fine of €135 and possible further prosecution.

Road users without Olympic accreditation are advised to be aware of possible travel issues, as more vehicles are filtered into the other lanes. Therefore it would be wise to allow a little extra time for your journey if you are using one of the listed roads during the Games period.

An interactive map, showing routes with Olympic lanes is available here

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