Holidaymakers who refuse Covid booster could face quarantine under new plans

British travellers eligible for the vaccine booster programme will have to be tripled jabbed in order to fly overseas under plans being considered by ministers.

The plans, which emerged on Saturday night, would see quarantine and testing reimposed for eligible groups who refuse to take up the top-up dose.

On Saturday night Government sources confirmed they were looking into the proposals, which would be modelled on the system in Israel.

British holidaymakers are already facing travel restrictions if they wish to travel to the country or to Austria, where the authorities have begun imposing limits on the validity of vaccinations.

However, according to the Mail on Sunday, the Government is now looking at imposing restrictions on those returning from abroad amid concerns that waning immunity over time risks them returning home with the virus.

Officials are said to be divided over how soon to implement the measures and are considering a grace period that would allow people to travel without quarantining if they had sought a booster six months after their second jab but had not yet been offered an appointment.

Sources said that a grace period of between one and two months was under discussion.

The plans are likely to provoke a backlash among Tory MPs and, if enacted, would represent another potential blow to the aviation and travel industries, which have already endured months of reduced trade due to global restrictions.

It came as Health Secretary Sajid Javid said almost 10 million people have now received their booster jab, but encouraged people to urge their elderly relatives to come forward.

Boosters are currently available to over-50s, health workers and the clinically vulnerable, although the scheme is expected to be extended to the over-40s early next year.

Seven out of ten of those over 80 and three in five of the over-50s in England have had their third injection, which can be administered six months after the second.

As at present, those who have not been fully vaccinated will have to self-isolate for ten full days on returning to the UK and pay for four expensive PCR tests, two before departure and two back on British soil.

It is the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ that will be extended to include only those who have accepted the booster