Question reference: S6W-01953
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 29 July 2021
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its plans for certification of COVID-19 vaccination status for international travel include exemptions for people who cannot receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available.
Answer
We are working closely across the four nations and international partners on restarting international travel safely. Our discussions are still ongoing with the UK Government and international partners on exemptions for people who cannot receive COVID-19 vaccinations. In the meantime, people intending to travel should check that vaccination status is a requirement of the country they are visiting on the GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages, as PCR testing is also widely accepted.
The number of people for whom vaccination cannot be safely completed with the right support will be very small. Reasons for exemptions would be medical contraindications that might include severe anaphylactic reaction across the range of vaccines and those receiving end of life care. We would encourage people to take a vaccine where they can do so safely and they can contact our national helpline on 0808 196 8565 for support in arranging this.