PM: Booster Jab to be Added to NHS Travel Pass

After much confusion over how the introduction of the booster jab will affect travel, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that the government plan to add the booster jabs to travellers’ NHS Travel Pass’ to make “life including foreign travel easier”.

Recently there has been a fair amount of ambiguity and concern surrounding the booster jab and travel. Several destinations have stated that they will add restrictions for travellers who do not have the booster jab (and are eligible for the booster jab), including France, where restrictions have been added for over 65s who do not have the booster jab from December 15th.

A lot of the concern surrounding this was centred on the NHS app and the vaccination status of travellers. The EU and countries accepting the EU Vaccine Passport started accepting the NHS Travel Pass from last month, but this does not currently detail whether a traveller has been administered a booster jab.

With this hopeful news, Boris Johnson has said, “I think we will be making plans to add the booster dose to the NHS Covid Travel Pass. Again, the general lesson for anyone who wants to travel is that getting fully vaccinated with a booster will make your life easier in all kinds of ways, including for foreign travel. This is yet another reason to get it done.”

Though he has not given a specific date for this to take place, this news is going to help settle a lot of nerves for consumers and travel trade alike, allowing a smooth transition into destinations that are beginning to add restrictions for the booster jab requirements.

It is important to note that these requirements are generally based on the vaccine booster roll-out. For example, in France, the booster jab is only a requirement for travellers entering who have been offered the booster jab.

In the UK, as of the 16th of November, Boris Johnson has confirmed that the booster vaccine roll-out for over 40s will begin soon, and the restrictions may change with this. However, this could be different in each destination based on their vaccine booster roll-out system, so we highly recommend always keeping up to date through the Foreign Travel Advice page whenever you’re planning to book travel.

This is some great news, and we look forward to getting more clarification on this subject in the near future. There may be a small adjustment period, Boris Johnson clarified, but travel is still open to UK holidaymakers as 2022 approaches.

So, if you’re ready to book a great holiday, don’t forget to get in contact with a travel business registered with PTS offering 100% financial protection through trust. Or, if you would like assistance choosing a lovely PTS member to book with, you can contact PTS directly at 0207 190 9988.

And if you would like to find out more about your consumer protection with PTS or how the Package Travel Regulations protect your holiday booking, check out our pages.