EU country becomes first to impose expiry date on Brit travellers’ Covid jabs – World News

Brits entering Austria more than 270 days after having their second Covid-19 vaccination will have to show a negative test and isolate under new plans to stop the spread of coronavirus

Brits will have to get re-vaccinated if they want to visit Austria more than nine months after having their jab.

The EU country has put a 270 expiry date on all Covid vaccine certificates for people looking to travel there.

Vienna has done so amid concerns that the novel coronavirus vaccines’ effectiveness could wane as time goes on.

The nine-month clock begins on the day the second jab is administered, reports The Telegraph.

UK travellers can alternatively show evidence of a negative Covid test or a recent recovery from the virus to gain entry.

However, this means shelling out for costly tests for an indefinite amount of time, as well as having to isolate for up to 10 days.

How long the Covid vaccines will remain effective for is a live question give the relatively short amount of time since they were first administered.

The most recent Pfizer-BioNTech data shows 91% overall efficacy falling to 84% at the six-month mark, and a steady 97% against severe disease, Yale Medicine reports.

Moderna’s vaccine was 93% effective overall through six months and 98% effective against severe disease, according to a company statement in August.

The latest data do not specify effectiveness against Delta.

“We can only say that a vaccine is protective as long as we are measuring it,” says Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist Dr Jaimie Meyer.

A recent study published in Nature found that mRNA vaccines, such as Moderna and Pfizer, set off an immune response that could last years against the original virus strain.

Austria’s decision comes as the UK government plans to place restrictions on people who have not had a booster shot, it has been reported.

At the moment, double-jabbed Brits can go to amber list countries without having to quarantine upon their return.

Millions are set to be offered a third jab from September after Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced the roll-out to priority groups.

This could become necessary for those wanting to travel abroad without isolating.

A source told The Mail on Sunday: “The assumption is that you will be required to have the most up-to-date health passport.

“So if the advice is to have a booster six months after your second jab, then that is what you’ll need.”