Amber list exemptions aren't good news for everyone

Many Scots are finding out their family, who are double vaccinated, can't visit them without quarantining, because their vaccines were administered elsewhere - even if it's the same type.

Author: Lewis MichiePublished 14th Jul 2021

New exemptions to travel rules will bring benefits to many Scots, but for some they still won't allow them to see their family.

From Monday, those who are double vaccinated won't have to quarantine upon return from amber list countries.

The catch is that those two vaccines will have to have been administered here.

That means those with family abroad, who have been vaccinated in their own nation, still have to quarantine in order to visit Scotland.

That's even if they can prove they've received a vaccine that has been approved in the UK.

John Morrison from Ellon, Aberdeenshire is in this situation. He has Danish in-laws.

He told Northsound:

"We're just trying to understand why it matters where you got the vaccine, as long as that vaccine is approved for use in the UK.

"In Denmark for instance, if you've been fully vaccinated, with a vaccine that's approved by the European medicines agency, that's acceptable to them."

Mr Morrison pointed out that perhaps a solution can be found by adding testing, he said:

"If they are worried about the differences in duration between the vaccinations that each country has, then surely they could add a different control measure, like providing a negative test before departure and on arrival.

"I'm struggling to see the logic behind it."

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