[LM24] Le Mans 2021 21/22 August - Who Is Going?

[bella]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

It's all very well observers suggesting it'll be fine and the border control staff won't have time to check the vaccination records of everyone entering the country properly, in order to weed out those with a Covishield jab, but let's get real, if you know you've had a Covishield jab and there's a good chance of being refused entry into France, you're not going to risk trying, are you?

i'm doing it in 10 days. i'll report back, but i'm not anticipating any difficulties

[Gerard C]

Is it possible for a Uk resident to have had a first jab wit AZ and the second one with Covishield? If the answer is yes, how will be filled the vaccination card? Will those people be half admitted to travel in France? Or asked two sworn statement? French authorities recognized the NHS card yesterday but now its under conditions?
Hope the EMA authorization will arrive soon, the indian variant is already here, knowing no border or regulation.

[Gerard C]

What is obvious is that "la campagne présidentielle" is now raging. Harboring people in their fear is a good way to win the votes…

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Is it possible for a Uk resident to have had a first jab wit AZ and the second one with Covishield? If the answer is yes, how will be filled the vaccination card? Will those people be half admitted to travel in France? Or asked two sworn statement? French authorities recognized the NHS card yesterday but now its under conditions?

More likely the other way around Gerard, like me. I had my first dose in late March and it seems to be around that time that the Covishield doses were mostly being utilised. The card (and our NHS app) records the batch number, from which we can identify if we had a Covishield jab. It is also within the QR code.

[Gerard C]

I think and hope its just a matter of weeks now. The main aim of the cards is to be recognized at any border and I dont see any difference between two perfectly identical vaccines, whether they are made in India or in any other country using the same principle.
Hope its not another political pickpocketing but knowing French I'm not too confident.

[Aysedasi]

Yes, I agree completely Gerard. But there is always political mileage to be made out of these things, sadly.

[bella]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

More likely the other way around Gerard, like me. I had my first dose in late March and it seems to be around that time that the Covishield doses were mostly being utilised. The card (and our NHS app) records the batch number, from which we can identify if we had a Covishield jab. It is also within the QR code.

yeah, you're correct. although we now have two separate qr codes, one for each vaccine which is perhaps the start of being more eu passport friendly. i think the very first second doses were being given, and they were almost entirely pfizer for a while due to the extra time it took to get az into circulation.

it's not even covishield here, that's the funny bit. the serum institute of india rebranded it for their markets (quite right too, it sounds much snappier ). it's literally just a name on the box. the same company has done the same with novavax - that's called covovax. away from india, valneva's version is being manufactured by another vaccine company in the uk.

there's a significant amount of cooperation going on between companies within the vaccine industry - this is just one particular thing the media have jumped on and decided to make an issue. it isn't.

i do appreciate that our friends over the puddle do march to the beat of their own drum, but they've actually been more forward thinking than the rest of the eu when it comes to recognising the uk certificate in the same context as their own for international travel. that precedent suggests that a minor glitch such as a box isn't going to make waves.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by bella

- this is just one particular thing the media have jumped on and decided to make an issue. it isn't.

Super, I'll let the guy at border control or at the entrance of one of the spectator enclosures at the circuit know, if I run into any problems...

Really, there is no way I will risk the cost of ferry, hotels, race tickets etc. unless I am 100% certain I am going to be allowed to enter France and enter the circuit for five consecutive days unchallenged and with full confidence in the documentation I am using. I'd be unable to relax and enjoy myself with the shadow of this issue, or non-issue, cast overhead. Sorry, but that's me.

Yes, there may be some, maybe hundreds and thousands, who manage to 'wing it' successfully, but I, personally, don't have the confidence (nonchalance? arrogance?) to do that.

Bella, you are very well informed, so you'll know that this isn't really about the potential five million Brits with an Indian manufactured jab at all, it's about those amongst the two and a half million French nationals living in overseas territories who are unable to travel home this summer without having to self isolate or quarantine on arrival in France, despite having received WHO approved vaccines. It's a very well documented high profile political hot potato at the moment, with France accused by it's own nationals of creating a two tier system which penalises those from poorer countries. If the French decide to dig their heels in and make this an issue at their borders, they will, and whatever you experience in ten days time is not necessarily what others might experience further down the line.

[whitemr2]

With all the uncertain things discussed above I think I'm lucky my letter still dus not arrive. It gives me the chance to postpone my decision to buy tickets.

[GT6]

Well a good sign my new ACO card turned up today, well i am taking it as a good sign

[AstonGeoff]

And another good sign, I finally got a response to my email about my ticket offer letter after 13 days.
So, I've paid the difference between my credit note and new requirements.

Fingers crossed now!

[Anyopenroad]

Worth noting that the vaccine record in the NHS app will say Vaxzevria wherever your dose of AZ was made. It’s only by the batch number that you can tell if it’s Covishield: 4120Z001, 4120Z002, and 4120Z003.

This is the sort of infuriating bureaucracy we’re going to face until everything settles down, which could mean months. Covishield is identical to the product made in the UK / EU and India is among the world’s foremost manufacturers of medicines. Frankly I’m surprised the Indian Govt hasn’t kicked off at the insinuation that their product is sub-standard.

[Aysedasi]

It's nit-picking, but I don't think it's a sub-standard issue at all, just that as Covishield vaccines were not acquired for use by the EU, they have never been subject to the EU's authorisation procedure.

[Simmi]

If you could get out of the UK using the NHS App then I think it would be okay (from an Indian AZ perspective). But who knows. Will be plenty of people (bella included) trying to make the trip before Le Mans so we should have more information on what's possible.

[AstonGeoff]

And things are changing on a daily, if not hourly, basis at the moment so god only knows (and he may not) what the situation will be come mid August!

Anything we may say or think right now is almost certainly going to be wrong by then...

[Aysedasi]

Pretty much guaranteed, I'd say!

[GT6]

Have faith, everything will be ok, from were my head is buried in the sand everything looks OK

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by Simmi

If you could get out of the UK using the NHS App then I think it would be okay (from an Indian AZ perspective).

I don’t think vaccine status is checked on the way out, is it? The Govt doesn’t care about people leaving, only entering. Besides, what the UK thinks of Covishield is of no consequence to the French.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Covishield is identical to the product made in the UK/EU and India is among the world’s foremost manufacturers of medicines. Frankly I’m surprised the Indian Govt hasn’t kicked off at the insinuation that their product is sub-standard.

Agreed for the first part. As to kick anything or anyone's arse, I think they have bigger fish to to fry ATM!
Just imagine that only an indian laboratory can heal the world with a new vaccine or produce enough doses when the other cant… They would become heroes right away! In some way its what happened with the Aids medication.

@GT6: you're right to remain optimistic. Its free and good for your health. Keep faith, bro!

[bella]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Worth noting that the vaccine record in the NHS app will say Vaxzevria wherever your dose of AZ was made. It’s only by the batch number that you can tell if it’s Covishield: 4120Z001, 4120Z002, and 4120Z003.

This is the sort of infuriating bureaucracy we’re going to face until everything settles down, which could mean months. Covishield is identical to the product made in the UK / EU and India is among the world’s foremost manufacturers of medicines. Frankly I’m surprised the Indian Govt hasn’t kicked off at the insinuation that their product is sub-standard.

the serum institute of india is the biggest vaccine manufacturer in the world. the entire thing is absolutely laughable, and it’s all generated by the media.

the french don’t care. the media are telling you the french care to make you hate them and feel fear. same way they whipped up resentment over foreign businessmen in very particular use cases skipping confinement when motorsport and elite sportspeople have been doing it all along.

[AstonGeoff]

As we all know "bad news sells" and the media have had plenty of it to spout off over the past 18 months.

I'm being positive about being able to attend! Negativity about LM is banned in our house!

btw a friend had a chat with the ticket office about Brits being allowed in to the circuit and they said we just need a proof of double jab printed out to wave at the gate staff. In other words they don't really care but need to be seen to be doing something to appease the authorities....

[Truckosaurus]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

....you're right to remain optimistic. Its free and good for your health....

Wise Words, for life in general not just for this specific motor-race.

I have been guilty of negative thoughts around worse case scenarios etc purely as it is easier than making plans. I shall endeavour to improve.

[Simmi]

So the main reason for LM being in its August date (and not a slightly more COVID-comfortable September one) - Fuji WEC - has been cancelled. Who could possibly have seen that one coming...

[Gerard C]

What is coming is probably no good news, like new rules at our borders… We'll know more on Monday next but it really sucks…

[kpkorsager]

Well.............. the football Euro is over, and EU can go back to there total lockdown again.