U.K. Will Accept Sinovac Vaccine for Tourists Starting Late November

PHOTO BY Shutterstock / Bucchi Francesco

The United Kingdom said it would allow entry to tourists vaccinated with Sinovac, Sinopharm and Covaxin starting November 22.

The U.K. joins the U.S. in accepting travelers who were jabbed with Sinovac's CoronaVac, the most widely available jab in the Philippines.

"As a result, Sinovac, Sinopharm Beijing, and Covaxin will be added to our list of approved vaccines for inbound travel, benefitting more fully vaccinated people travelling to the UK," the British Embassy Manila said on Facebook.

Also read: U.S. Now Accepts Sinovac As a Valid Vaccine for Visitors

Read this guide before booking a flight to the U.K.:

What does fully vaccinated mean?

A person is considered fully vaccinated when they receive both doses of two-dose vaccine (Moderna, Pfizer BioNTech, AstraZeneca, or a combination of them) or a jab of an approved one-dose vaccine (Jannsen).

They must have the final dose of the vaccine at least 14 days before arrival. The day the final dose was administered does not count as one of the 14 days.

This applies to all, even if an individual recently recovered from COVID-19.

Do tourists need to present proof of vaccination?

Yes. For those coming from the Philippines, a vaccine certificate is required.

The vaccine certificate must be issued by a national or state-level public health authority in English, French, or Spanish, with the following details:

• First name and surname(s)
• Date of birth
• Vaccine brand and manufacturer
• Date of vaccination for every dose
• Country or territory of vaccination and/or certificate issuer

What are the other requirements for the fully vaccinated?

Before traveling to England, travelers must:

• Book and pay for a COVID-19 test (lateral flow or PCR test), to be taken before the end of their second day in England
• Complete a passenger locator form, to be completed in the 48 hours before arrival

The fully vaccinated rules also apply if the individual is:

• Under 18 and resident in the U.K. or a country or territory which has approved proof of vaccination
• Taking part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial in the U.K. or the U.S (U.S. residents only for U.S. trials)
• Unable to have a COVID-19 vaccination for a medical reason which has been approved by a clinician under the medical exemptions process, and are a resident in England

Can partially vaccinated tourists travel to the U.K.?

Those who have had COVID-19 and have only one dose of a two-dose vaccine must follow the rules for unvaccinated individuals.

Before traveling to England, an individual must take a COVID-19 test three days before the flight. They must also book and pay for PCR tests on the second and eighth day from arrival in England.

They will also be required to quarantine at home or in the place where they will stay for 10 full days and take the PCR tests on the second and eighth day of quarantine. 

Can kids travel to the U.K.?

Starting November 22, the rules for children will no longer depend on their place of residence.

Minors aged 17 and below, vaccinated or not, do not have to quarantine on arrival in England if they are either:

• A resident of the UK or a country or territory with an approved proof of vaccination
• The children of someone who is fully vaccinated under the UK overseas vaccination program

Those aged five to 17:

• Do not have to take a COVID-19 test before travel to England
• Must take a test on or before their second day in England0

Children aged 4 and under do not need to take any COVID-19 tests.

For more information, check out the U.K. Goverment's guide online.

This story originally appeared on Reportr.world. Minor edits have been made by the SPOT.ph editors.

Source: Spot PH