Shot in the arm for international travel as booster jab included on NHS Covid Pass
Boosters jabs and third doses will show up on the NHS Covid Pass from today.
The announcement follows concerns of vaccination time-limits for being imposed by countries such as Israel, Croatia and Austria for quarantine-free travel.
Europe has become the epicentre of cases with countries imposing new social distancing measures, including different rules for the vaccinated and un-vaccinated.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to show their vaccine status if they are travelling abroad,” said Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
“This update to the NHS COVID Pass will mean people can have their complete medical picture at their fingertips if they are going on holiday or seeing loved ones overseas.”
Boosters and third doses will now show up automatically in the digital pass from today for people in England and from 29 November in Wales.
Over 20 million people have accessed their pass via the NHS app since it launched in May.
While proof of a booster is not yet available via the COVID pass letter service, the government say this will “be updated in due course”.
People travelling into England will not need to show evidence of a third jab.
It is also not being included on the domestic Covid-19 pass.
Booster jab rollout reaches under-40s
Approximately 13 million people have been given booster jabs in the UK.
This week, the age range for eligibility was lowered to anyone over 40.
The booster is given to ‘top up’ a person’s protection as it begins to wane, a strong risk factor for the disease spreading over winter.
Data from the UK Health and Security Agency released this week suggests the additional jab boosts protection significantly.
Two weeks after a booster dose of Pfizer, over-50s who originally had two doses of AstraZeneca had 93.1 per cent protection, and over 50s who have had two doses of Pfizer now had 94 per cent protection.