Thread by @hhesterm

To add to today's debate about a quarantine requirement in the EU for travelers from the UK - one criticism is: why no exception for the fully vaccinated? /1

Worthwhile to point out: the UK has almost all EU Member States on the amber list. Consequence? Quarantine - without exception for the fully vaccinated /2

(Here's the website) gov.uk/guidance/red-a… So maybe we can stop the "oh the EU is angry because of Brexit" stuff and get straight to: WHY is it that neither side recognizes the vaccination of the other side? /3

We can eliminate one thing straight off the bat: it has nothing to do with AZ v. Pfizer. Both EU and UK recognize both vaccinations. /4

But there are two reasons why you might have a problem with recognizing vaccinations. /5

The first: being careful. Particularly with variants we know that vaccination protects you from getting seriously ill. But also from infecting others? /6

That is quite clearly the rule in Germany: Vaccination will release you from quarantine obligations EXCEPT if you come from a territory listed as a virus variant territory. bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/service/gesetz… /7

The second problem is: getting a system of mutual recognition in place. And here it actually seems to be all over at the moment (France seems to recognize UK vaccinations I have been told). /8

That is an administrative issue - and not necessarily a simple one. How to prove vaccination? How to make sure that everyone knows which proves are valid?
Some work to be done... /9