Subject: [Manycouches] Austria entry and stay vaccination rules, 2-G, 9 months, , etc.

From: Alexandre Petrescu <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2022 12:33:44 +0100

The goal is health.

I would like to point out to a few problems.

The following URL has some problems.

https://www.austria.info/en/service-and-facts/coronavirus-information/entry-regulations

> People who are fully vaccinated (double jabbed) AND have received
> the 3rd booster jab (or the second shot in case you were jabbed with
>  Johnson & Johnson) can enter Austria with a negative PCR test
> (valid 48 hours).

and later on it says:
> When you need a PCR test
> 
> Please find several scenarios below:
> 
> 2x vaccinated (or 1x vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson): PCR test 
> mandatory*
> 
> 3x vaccinated (or 1x vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson plus Booster):
> no PCR test needed

remark the 'no PCR test needed' vs the initial 'can enter Austria with a
negative PCR test'.  Who is right?

Remark also the following:
> Proof of full vaccination (2 jabs) OR proof of past infection (the 
> medical document needs to show the date of recovery – (for guests 
> from the UK: an NHS email/text of a positive test is not sufficient)
> 
> 
> AND a negative PCR test (valid for 72 hours) OR proof of a booster 
> jab (booster is valid from the first day)

Err.. is it an AND or an OR?  Are there missing parenthesis?

Is it A AND (B OR C) or is it (A AND B) OR C ?

Remark in the html page they use bold text for the OR but normal text
for AND.  Is there a particular significance for the bold?

> BioNtech / Pfizer, AstraZeneca (or Covishield), Johnson & Johnson, 
> Moderna, the Chinese vaccines Sinopharm and Sinovac and - since 25 
> December - Covaxin, Covovax,

'covovax'?

> 
> I am vaccinated with Sinopharm/Sinovac/Covishield/Sputnik V. What can
> I do to meet the "2-G" criteria during my stay?
> 
> Currently, only BioNtech/Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and 
> Moderna are recognised under the "2-G" rule in Austria. However, in 
> case you have had one shot of Sinopharm/Sinovac/Covishield/Sputnik V
>  and two additional jabs with an EMA-approved vaccine you will obtain
>  “2-G” status, too. People who have been vaccinated with 
> Sinopharm/Sinovac/Covishield/Sputnik V. and can show both proof of an
> antibody test and a booster with BioNtech/Pfizer, AstraZeneca, 
> Johnson & Johnson or Moderna are also able to get a "2-G" 
> certificate. Please note: The booster alone is not sufficient! The 
> antibody test is mandatory and must be carried out before the 
> additional jab with any of the above mentioned vaccines.

But - Sputnik V is not allowed for entry, so why listing it?

Second, normally one performs an antibody test to identify whether or
not antibodies are sufficient, if yes then no need to vaccinate.  But
the text says that one _must_ perform antibody test _and_ vaccinate.
What result do they want from the antibody test?  Proof of positive
antibody test or proof of negative antibody test?

--------

The list of vaccines accepted to entry in Austria is different than that
of vaccinating local people.  Some vaccines protect more than others,
especially with respect to transmission.  Once the weaker vaccines are
accepted, the entire system is weaker, regardless of the presence of
stronger vaccines.  That is a problem of authorities in Austria, not of
IETF, nor of Hilton, but it is nonetheless a problem.  It has effects on
IETF meeeting in Austria.

I suspect that is why they dont allow people with non-EMA vaccines to
'stay' in Austria (e.g. go to restaurant, etc, 2G).  They allow them to
enter but not to 'stay', or to '2-G'.

The Austria URL says '2 jab' ('full') is mandatory to entry in Austria.
  But that is simply wrong for several reasons.  Some vaccines are
single-jab by design.  It depends when.  Further, 'heterogolous'
vaccination involves several kinds of vaccines, and some combination
prove more advantageous than others.  Additionally, some people consider
'full' to be actually 3-jab, or 4-jab these days.  The solution to that
is to develop verbiage that no longer talks about 2- or 3- jab, but to
talk about 'vaccinated in the last x months against y and z variants
with vaccine name'.

The last EMA advisory seems to plan towards change in strategy, telling
that too many boosters might not be good, might not help.  SOme possible
strategy according to EMA is to consider stop vaccination now but
re-start in autumn.  That aspect will change again the verbiage of what
is accepted as vaccination.

Also, Austria seems to accept a 'medical certificate for recovery'.  It
seems to ignore that in some countries that cert does not exist.  Where
I live what exists is that a PCR test was positive 2 weeks ago and now 2
PCR tests are negative.  That is the proof, it is not a particular
certificate.  That seems to not be accepted in Austria.  Further, in
such a case Austria proposes a declaration form.  That form must be
signed by a doctor.  But anyone can sign it by hand.  It can be easily
faked.

Some of the worst rules, which I consider irresponsible the authorities
to keep there is the following: "Two-dose vaccinations are currently
valid for 270 days after the second or any additional dose."  That makes
for 9 months.  It is way too much.  Where I live it is 5 to 7 months.  I
think the Austrian authorities know that already.  I suspect they
already apply it to locals, but have not yet updated the URL.

This number of months has a strong impact on planning to travel to Austria.

Alex