COVID-19 and expatriation in Hungary

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

My husband thinks those rushing to spas, restaurants and museums are reckless even if they have been jabbed.
We don't attend these events much, spas were nice but they started to get overcrowded and overpriced.
Rather use a natural lake or river to chill out in.
I personally believe people can protect themselves by keeping up the iron levels in their blood and making sure they don't allow this "virus" to stress them out too much.
Rest, relax and it will pass in time.
Getting one's self worked up over not being allowed to do this or that isn't going to help.
Just don't forget who is forcing this on us, their time will come when they will have to answer for their crimes against society.
People being forced inside, people losing their jobs and people not being allowed to travel freely.
Too much control means they are covering up their crimes.
We kept paying for our TAJ but so far they can keep their jab, if I do decide it's time to play the game, I'd like to pick my own poison.

Your hubby is right - best avoid crowded places in the short to mid-term.

We go to Balaton a couple of times during the summer and we are able to use the neighbours private access to the water.  I'd rather do that than get mixed up in the bacterial and virus laden soup of a hot spa.

I'm not so worried about having the jab.  I'd welcome it.  I trust the Western vaccines and I trust the AZ version despite the blood clot claims. My eldest daughter got jabbed in the UK yesterday and she's in her early 30s.   She's fine.

I do feel abandoned by the UK government.   After reading that Reuters article about US folks in Thailand,  I am thinking of getting my daughter to lobby her MP in the UK to do something about the British in Hungary.   It seems easy to me.  Just arrange for spare vaccines through a private clinic instead of sending them to other countries.

fluffy2560 wrote:

For our American expat friends:

Americans living abroad are asking Washington to send surplus coronavirus shots to overseas embassies so they can get a vaccine in countries where the pace of inoculations is slow and travelling home is difficult.

I love this, thanks for sharing.  Will not get my hopes up, however... but who knows.  If the US Embassy did vaccinate me, wonder if I would get one of those Hungarian green cards, or even the future EU one.

Junior Street wrote:

...
I love this, thanks for sharing.  Will not get my hopes up, however... but who knows.  If the US Embassy did vaccinate me, wonder if I would get one of those Hungarian green cards, or even the future EU one.

I think  you'd get the US CDC card. The Thai lobby group will probably get some traction.  I've always heard from people the US embassies are far more engaged with US citizens than others.   You could always lobby here.  After all they do work for you.

For other country nationals, I think there's almost no chance.  In my own case,  there are numerous stories of  UK embassies being the last place to go to if there's trouble.  They could even make a UK citizen's situation worse.   My own complaint about them is that their travel advisories are way out of date and often so middle of the road non-controversial as it be almost useless.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I've always heard from people the US embassies are far more engaged with US citizens than others.   You could always lobby here.  After all they do work for you.

When I have reached out in the past the response has been kind but it basically boiled down to: keep checking our website and good luck.

Junior Street wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I've always heard from people the US embassies are far more engaged with US citizens than others.   You could always lobby here.  After all they do work for you.

When I have reached out in the past the response has been kind but it basically boiled down to: keep checking our website and good luck.

One if the things it says in the article is to get relatives to lobby their representative.  I've always got the impression - from other US citizens I know - that it can sometimes bring results.  Just asking the embassy is probably going to get a polite brush off.   Knowing someone back on the mothership is watching their performance is going to make them think more carefully about knocking people back.

Believe me the US embassy in Hungary is not in operation to help  US citizens living abroad.
They are in business to help business.
More about trade deals ect. then helping your average smuck from the states.
I thought when you were in need they would come to your rescue.
No, heard from 2 different sources that when the death of a US citizen happened they just brushed it off and told the families to hire a private lawyer to help them with all details.
Nice to know they have your back!
Makes me remember the last days in Vietnam when the news was showing a few helicopters taking out the last embassy workers , those locals loyal to the US embassy were left behind.
Probably shot on the spot.
I do get notices from the US embassy about upcoming things happening in Hungary. The deal is they send them out after the fact most times.
Just this morning we were talking about Croatia and visiting the ocean there.
Well, today I also noticed that Croatia will not let anyone in without the 2 jabs...Guess that's off for now, maybe I'll buy a kiddie pool and set it up in the flat for my summer fun?
This thing is getting so dumb it's becoming a bad joke.
My step-father who was a 2 time US Navy POW with 3 Purple Hearts and one bronze star used to say if he took those medals to a coffee shop and tossed in a dime maybe he would be served a cup of coffee, that's how worthless they were in the end.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Believe me the US embassy in Hungary is not in operation to help  US citizens living abroad.
They are in business to help business.
More about trade deals ect. then helping your average smuck from the states.
I thought when you were in need they would come to your rescue.
No, heard from 2 different sources that when the death of a US citizen happened they just brushed it off and told the families to hire a private lawyer to help them with all details.
Nice to know they have your back!
Makes me remember the last days in Vietnam when the news was showing a few helicopters taking out the last embassy workers , those locals loyal to the US embassy were left behind.
Probably shot on the spot.
I do get notices from the US embassy about upcoming things happening in Hungary. The deal is they send them out after the fact most times.
Just this morning we were talking about Croatia and visiting the ocean there.
Well, today I also noticed that Croatia will not let anyone in without the 2 jabs...Guess that's off for now, maybe I'll buy a kiddie pool and set it up in the flat for my summer fun?
This thing is getting so dumb it's becoming a bad joke.
My step-father who was a 2 time US Navy POW with 3 Purple Hearts and one bronze star used to say if he took those medals to a coffee shop and tossed in a dime maybe he would be served a cup of coffee, that's how worthless they were in the end.

I thought the politicians might make the civil service more reactive. 

In the UK it's very difficult to make a politician move their rear end in response to a constituent's complaint.  No-one knows what they do in British embassies.  You'd think they'd publish something about their performance.  I reckon they could downsize most of them to a couple of people.   

Never see them getting stuck into anything juicy like the US Embassy.  There's loads to be active about.  I remember them sticking the boot in here over corruption and get some officials blacklisted.  Not that it made any difference longer term.

I know what you mean about the lack of travel.  We also thought of Croatia but just too difficult.  They will have to open it up sometime.  O1G missed a trick over the football championship final  being moved from Turkey to Portugal.  And it's between two English clubs. He could have hosted it here - there are enough stadiums for it and people are allowed to come and go here if football is involved.  They could lay on direct flights.   The EU has banned people coming into the EU from non-EU countries.  And that means the UK now.  But they could perhaps have done a bilateral deal.

I never actually asked my Dad about his medals.   He's got some I am sure but never really looked at them.  Governments often call upon sons and daughters to fight and then do nothing for them when they come back damaged.    UK has a problem - in its mind - relocating its workers from Afghanistan.  The chances of them surviving are relatively low unless they are rescued.  To me it seems a no brainer.

I remember that escape from the roof of the US embassy in Saigon.  And I remember them pushing the choppers of the aircraft carriers into the sea.  I think it was something like 2000 helicopters and planes were dumped into the waters off Vietnam.

Curious if anyone who registered without TAJ has had an invitation to set up an appointment.  I have heard nothing this week, so I'm wondering if this is indeed in motion for foreigners living in Hungary.

Hi Everyone.  Please help with getting the Jab without TAJ card. Slot booking is not possible without TAJ CARD. Registration is done successfully but no further communication is made to till date

I believe there is a help desk on the official site (even in English)
https://koronavirus.gov.hu/ the 456 extention.
Of course I never tried, I do have a TAJ card, but in your situation I would try that one, can take quite some time.
Calling a GP close by could also be an option.

cdw057 wrote:

I believe there is a help desk on the official site (even in English)
https://koronavirus.gov.hu/ the 456 extention.
Of course I never tried, I do have a TAJ card, but in your situation I would try that one, can take quite some time.
Calling a GP close by could also be an option.

Mrs Fluffy talked with her GP yesterday about me and the situation has not changed.   There is no route to official vaccination for foreigners without TAJ cards. 

There is always a way to get the vaccine under the table but there's no way to get the certificate.   They say it's a software problem.  I'm calling BS on that.

IMHO, they need to stop being incompetent, stupidly political and allow private clinics or the OEK (Epidemiology Centre) to obtain the vaccine and issue certificates even if it means paying a fee.

Personally I am waiting for quarantine to end on inter-EU/EU-UK travel so I can get it done in the UK.  I have no faith in the HU government doing the right thing any time soon.

I cannot see the situation being resolved here until late summer - even into autumn or winter.  They are offering the vaccination to the Hungarian diaspora (i.e. voters) in the surrounding countries and they'll do that before doing it here for foreigners.

Definitely time to have a Plan B and Plan C.

My wife (Hungarian w/ TAJ) has signed up for the Pfizer vaccine now.  Whoever she spoke with said they think they have vaccinated foreigners without TAJ, but it is unclear how they were able to get an appointment.

Can you please provide details to get vaccinated without TAJ Card

Junior Street wrote:

My wife (Hungarian w/ TAJ) has signed up for the Pfizer vaccine now.  Whoever she spoke with said they think they have vaccinated foreigners without TAJ, but it is unclear how they were able to get an appointment.

Might be apocryphal.

Getting vaccinated is one thing but actually getting a record of it suitable for travel is another thing.

No-one here  in HU and in these forums has ever posted they were without TAJ, were vaccinated and received a certificate.

If anyone has done it, it'd be necessary to have verifiable sources of where that information came from.

Kavyapravinsb wrote:

Can you please provide details to get vaccinated without TAJ Card

we are in the same situation, I think!  I registered last week, now just waiting for the green light to book an appointment.  I have had no communication from Hungary yet.

https://hungarytoday.hu/hungary-vaccine … ronavirus/

This says we no longer need to wait for a SMS message to set up an appointment.  It doesn't say if this applies to foreigners too.  Worth a try... but I see the web page is down now.

Report for Euronews:

Digital green certificate: Deal reached to introduce an EU-wide COVID travel pass

Interesting statement in the report:

Only vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will be accepted in the application process, although individual countries will be allowed to accept other jabs if they wish to do so.

Since Hungary is believed to be the only country to use the non-EMA approved vaccines, the data referred to via the HU certificates will have to be modified or there will need to be a downloadable version of the certificate containing the details.

No news if this EU initiative will be expanded to include mutual recognition of non-EU country certificates.

Now they want to give paper certs with vaccine name at the doc who vaccinated you.
Several countries do accept Sinopharm, some do not accept Szputnik for some reason.

I got vaccinated today.  It was a big surprise to me, but I was able to walk in at my local hospital with passport and residence documents and they had a workaround in place by this afternoon.  Having my Hungarian wife with me helped get me through the first checkpoints.  First dose of Pfizer is done.  I am bracing for some bureaucratic issues but at last the process has started and my second vaccination date is scheduled.  There is hope after all.  Might be worth calling ahead first, the process still feels like a manual override.

VIMUKTI YOGA wrote:

Now they want to give paper certs with vaccine name at the doc who vaccinated you.
Several countries do accept Sinopharm, some do not accept Szputnik for some reason.

Probably without an acceptable vaccine, there will be no "automatic" travel across a border, especially by plane. A non-EMA approved vaccinated person coming into the issuing country that used unapproved versions would be accepted by that country. Bit political because unapproved vaccines look like a mistake.  Won't go down well if HU people's travel rights restricted because of using Chinese or Russian vaccines.

They were doing the paper certificates before and might still do that.  It had the vaccine type and batch number sticker on it.  However, if you scan the HU green certificate, it doesn't provide data on which vaccine was given.  That'll have to change.  It probably means that anyone that doesn't have the vaccine type stored on the system will need to have it uploaded - e.g. go back to GP and they will update the record.

I can see it coming that when booking a flight, it'll be necessary to give the vaccine certificate number and country like the current API (Advanced Passenger Information) questions.  Then one will be "authorised" for travel with no further intervention or stops needed.  Border guards will be asking for it as the queues are atrocious in some countries.   No certificate or exemption, no plane ride!

One thing they might do is do a booster on an acceptable vaccine in the winter when it comes to flu season.    Then they update on a rolling programme.

Patience is needed as it seems, but then again if free to move within Hungary already not too bad. Lets see how things work out. Glad to be alive, not so happy that I do not have my green card yet, let alone...

Junior Street wrote:

I got vaccinated today.  It was a big surprise to me, but I was able to walk in at my local hospital with passport and residence documents and they had a workaround in place by this afternoon.  Having my Hungarian wife with me helped get me through the first checkpoints.  First dose of Pfizer is done.  I am bracing for some bureaucratic issues but at last the process has started and my second vaccination date is scheduled.  There is hope after all.  Might be worth calling ahead first, the process still feels like a manual override.

Wow, this is very major news.   Did you just walk in to get it done or did you have an appointment?

And did you get a paper certificate with nice rubber stamps?

fluffy2560 wrote:

Junior Street wrote:

I got vaccinated today.  It was a big surprise to me, but I was able to walk in at my local hospital with passport and residence documents and they had a workaround in place by this afternoon.  Having my Hungarian wife with me helped get me through the first checkpoints.  First dose of Pfizer is done.  I am bracing for some bureaucratic issues but at last the process has started and my second vaccination date is scheduled.  There is hope after all.  Might be worth calling ahead first, the process still feels like a manual override.

Wow, this is very major news.   Did you just walk in to get it done or did you have an appointment?

And did you get a paper certificate with nice rubber stamps?

I did not have an appointment.  My wife had an appointment earlier in the day and asked about me.  In the morning they said there was nothing they could do, but they called her back later and said I should get there before 3pm.  Somehow they figured it out.  I have the paper certificate with the nice rubber stamps!

Junior Street wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Junior Street wrote:

I got vaccinated today.  It was a big surprise to me, but I was able to walk in at my local hospital with passport and residence documents and they had a workaround in place by this afternoon.  Having my Hungarian wife with me helped get me through the first checkpoints.  First dose of Pfizer is done.  I am bracing for some bureaucratic issues but at last the process has started and my second vaccination date is scheduled.  There is hope after all.  Might be worth calling ahead first, the process still feels like a manual override.

Wow, this is very major news.   Did you just walk in to get it done or did you have an appointment?

And did you get a paper certificate with nice rubber stamps?

I did not have an appointment.  My wife had an appointment earlier in the day and asked about me.  In the morning they said there was nothing they could do, but they called her back later and said I should get there before 3pm.  Somehow they figured it out.  I have the paper certificate with the nice rubber stamps!

This is really interesting news. 

Is the certificate in your name, with your passport number on it?

I am interested if this could be used for travel.

I will ask Mrs Fluffy to try and call a hospital where there might be a walk in centre - we have a lot around here.   Mrs Fluffy has already been vaccinated once with AZ.

fluffy2560 wrote:

[
This is really interesting news. 

Is the certificate in your name, with your passport number on it?

I am interested if this could be used for travel.

I will ask Mrs Fluffy to try and call a hospital where there might be a walk in centre - we have a lot around here.   Mrs Fluffy has already been vaccinated once with AZ.

Yes, in my name with my passport number.  However the document is in Hungarian.  I was told that on my second shot, they could give me a translated version.  I was not told that it would be valid for travel... I should have asked that.  My next step is to visit a Kormányablak.  I need to register there in order to be eligible for the Hungarian immunity card.  Not sure what I need to do, if anything, to be eligible for the EU card in July.

Has anyone even received an email confirmation of their (non-TAJ) registration on vakcinainfo.gov.hu?

Junior Street wrote:

I got vaccinated today.  It was a big surprise to me, but I was able to walk in at my local hospital with passport and residence documents and they had a workaround in place by this afternoon.

Wow, if you don't mind, which hospital was this?

darrom wrote:

Has anyone even received an email confirmation of their (non-TAJ) registration on vakcinainfo.gov.hu?

I haven't received anything from them except e-mails saying how "well" it's all going.

Another update from vaccination central HU style (my highlighting):

"More than 50 percent of adult Hungarians have already received the vaccine, which means that we are still at the forefront among EU countries. When the number of vaccinees reaches 5 million, we can take further measures to restart life, the government will lift a significant part of the epidemiological restrictions:

- No need to wear a mask in public areas.
- The curfew will be lifted.
- The mandatory closing dates for shops and restaurants will also be abolished.
- Individual and team sports are allowed in public areas.
- Private and family events can be held with 50 people without restrictions.
- Weddings can be held with up to 200 people without restrictions.
- Outdoor events can be held with the participation of up to 500 people, but events exceeding 500 people can only be attended with a security certificate.
- Music and dance events can be attended, but this requires a security card, regardless of the number of people and location.
- An indoor event can still only be attended with a security card.
- 16-18 year olds with a security certificate can go indoors (eg to a cinema, restaurant) without an adult.

....

As there are several vaccines available, everyone in Hungary can get the vaccine. If you have a friend who is not yet registered, please encourage them to do so! The vaccine saved lives."


Believe it when I see it - I'm part of everyone and I'm not getting the vaccine.

Update: 

Today Mrs Fluffy called two hospitals, a GP and eventually the vaccine hotline and was told categorically there was no legal route to the vaccine for people without the TAJ-card.   

Until  there is a documented and verifiable process published by the government there is no official way forward to get the vaccine or a certificate.

Anything else doesn't look useful.

New here. I have been reading this forum and other sources for the last few months hoping to find a way to get vaccinated but I finally gave up when I realized that the goverment will probably not make vaccination available for the foreigners without TAJ number until they are done with the 900,000 registered Hungarians who will only get   Pfizer. I hope I am wrong but it was time to go with plan B.
I am dual American and Romanian citizen and the wife is only American. A few weeks ago they started to have weekend vaccination drives in major cities in Romania where people can just show up without registration, show an ID and get vaccinated. So we got our PCR tests done to be able to get across the border but of course right after that Romania moved Hungary in the green category and it was not needed anymore.
The wife and I showed  up at the big tent in my home town. I gave them my Romanian passport and the wife's American. I knew I will be fine but I was wondering what will be the reaction to my wife. The person said that the wifey will get the vaccination for sure she just has to check with her boss how to enter it in the system. She came back in a couple of minutes and said that they just have to enter her passport number.  That is it. They did not ask for residency permit, the dreaded lakcimkartya or Romanian TAJ number. Then we went to the next section of the tent, filled out some standard medical forms and then got our vaccines. Romania only uses EU approved ones so we got the Pfizer. They gave us printed vaccination certificates in Romanian with the important parts like name, which dose and what kind of vaccine also in English. The whole thing was very smooth. Even if I was not there my wife would have been able to do it. Everybody spoke very good English.
We will be back in three weeks for the second dose.
Our choices were to wait here in Hungary until some possible breakthrough (I hate uncertainty), fly back to the US Interrupting my kid's school and risk quarantine or another round of PCR tests or try it in Romania. 
I had high hopes  when we were able to at least register here  and I checked in regularly on the info line but when they straight up told me that they will get ever everybody else done before the people without TAJ number I had no choice but go with plan B. We are not that young anymore. Needed to take care of ourselves.
Not sure if we can get Hungarian vaccination card but at least we are vaccinated.

notdude wrote:

New here. I have been reading this forum and other sources for the last few months hoping to find a way to get vaccinated but I finally gave up when I realized that the goverment will probably not make vaccination available for the foreigners without TAJ number until they are done with the 900,000 registered Hungarians who will only get   Pfizer. I hope I am wrong but it was time to go with plan B.
I am dual American and Romanian citizen and the wife is only American. A few weeks ago they started to have weekend vaccination drives in major cities in Romania where people can just show up without registration, show an ID and get vaccinated. So we got our PCR tests done to be able to get across the border but of course right after that Romania moved Hungary in the green category and it was not needed anymore.
The wife and I showed  up at the big tent in my home town. I gave them my Romanian passport and the wife's American. I knew I will be fine but I was wondering what will be the reaction to my wife. The person said that the wifey will get the vaccination for sure she just has to check with her boss how to enter it in the system. She came back in a couple of minutes and said that they just have to enter her passport number.  That is it. They did not ask for residency permit, the dreaded lakcimkartya or Romanian TAJ number. Then we went to the next section of the tent, filled out some standard medical forms and then got our vaccines. Romania only uses EU approved ones so we got the Pfizer. They gave us printed vaccination certificates in Romanian with the important parts like name, which dose and what kind of vaccine also in English. The whole thing was very smooth. Even if I was not there my wife would have been able to do it. Everybody spoke very good English.
We will be back in three weeks for the second dose.
....
Not sure if we can get Hungarian vaccination card but at least we are vaccinated.

Do you mean the 900K Hungarian diaspora?   I agree, foreigners  here in HU will never get the vaccination in an easy way.   Not until perhaps the end of the year.  I'm calling BS on O1G's plans. I am not sure if it's vaccine nationalism, something to do with the election next year or plain incompetence. 

Mrs Fluffy was getting jab No 2 today and waiting 2h only to be told all vaccines had been used for the day and was told to come back the next day.

You were lucky to be able to get the vaccination in another country and this is definitely a Plan B every expat should have. 

If you have a paper from any EU country, the likelihood it will eventually be acceptable or convertible to some EU standard document issued by the vaccinating state.

This is going to be interesting:
EU seeks huge fine in court over AstraZeneca vaccine delivery delays

I've actually read the contract they published. I cannot see the EU winning this one and they are going to look pretty ridiculously stupid if they lose. 

Looks to me like the "best effort" clause in the contracts nobbles any arguments the EU might have.  And they can always fall back on force majeure.

If they had put in liquidated damages for delays then there might be a leg to stand on.

The 900 000 is based on a statement the Hungarian PM made on one of his morning radio interviews. He was talking about how there are still about 900 000 Hungarians (not diaspora) who are registered but have not scheduled an appointment. He said the explanation must be that they are waiting for the Pfizer vaccine.  I completely agree with that statement. I also I believe that there will be a continuous stream of new registrations, most of which will want to get one of the western vaccines. And I don't blame them. People are not stupid and want the one with the best record and acceptance everywhere.
Hungary wants to take care of its own first and there are other European countries doing the same. I have read news articles about Americans living in Germany having to fly back to the US to get vaccinated.
It is interesting to see the patchwork of responses from the different countries. The US dropped the ball as well. They are doing very well domestically while ignoring the those who live abroad. They could afford to send enough for their citizens and some extra for the locals to diffuse any negative reaction and might even create some goodwill.
Oh well. I do hope that after this is over some bright minds and some practical ones can get together and figure out a much better response for next time.

notdude wrote:

The 900 000 is based on a statement the Hungarian PM made on one of his morning radio interviews. He was talking about how there are still about 900 000 Hungarians (not diaspora) who are registered but have not scheduled an appointment. He said the explanation must be that they are waiting for the Pfizer vaccine.  I completely agree with that statement. I also I believe that there will be a continuous stream of new registrations, most of which will want to get one of the western vaccines. And I don't blame them. People are not stupid and want the one with the best record and acceptance everywhere.
Hungary wants to take care of its own first and there are other European countries doing the same. I have read news articles about Americans living in Germany having to fly back to the US to get vaccinated.
It is interesting to see the patchwork of responses from the different countries. The US dropped the ball as well. They are doing very well domestically while ignoring the those who live abroad. They could afford to send enough for their citizens and some extra for the locals to diffuse any negative reaction and might even create some goodwill.
Oh well. I do hope that after this is over some bright minds and some practical ones can get together and figure out a much better response for next time.

Don't believe any of that.   

He's sending vaccines overseas to the surrounding nations because he gave them HU citizenship so they could vote for him.

Foreigners would be perfectly willing to pay for the vaccination if it could be made available in private clinics.

It also makes no sense to have a reservoir of unvaccinated people (i.e. potential spreaders) wandering around - the virus doesn't care what nationality you are. Other countries - as you posted about your own experiences - are willing to vaccinate foreigners and are organised to do it.

Travelling far away increases risk for everyone else on the journey.

Unused vaccines rejected by locals are thrown away when they expire - they could be have been used to  vaccinate anyone on the list ready to get to a vaccination centre after the day's batch of Hungarians.

My own view is that O1G is only willing to vaccinate his voters.  His arguments look completely nonsensical.

I also think our embassies should of set up a vax center for it's citizens.
That way we could have a card that is good to travel back home with.
I've been asked now 5 times by 2 different doctors if I've had my shot yet.
I have a Taj card but figure what good is a vax with an immunity card just for Hungary?
I can and will live without going to an overpriced spa or restaurnat in Hungary.
In fact if they requre this card I wouldn't spend a penny going vax or no vax.
It is going to get sorted at some point in time but in the mean time it can be frustrating for some people.
As soon as it is announced that this vax or that is good for travel all over the world, then I'll stand in line and wait my turn.
If I get ill before then, so be it, doubt it though...
Today while waiting for my post surgery check up we witnessed one person using the disinfecting gel from a pump. After that about 3 other people gt up and rubbed down.One guy even went so far as to take a ,"bath" in the gel! He was rubbing it all up and down his arms and really enjoy it...OK, I've seen far too much I suppose.
Don't people understand whatever you put on your skin soaks into your blood stream?

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I also think our embassies should of set up a vax center for it's citizens.
That way we could have a card that is good to travel back home with.
I've been asked now 5 times by 2 different doctors if I've had my shot yet.
I have a Taj card but figure what good is a vax with an immunity card just for Hungary?
I can and will live without going to an overpriced spa or restaurnat in Hungary.
In fact if they requre this card I wouldn't spend a penny going vax or no vax.
It is going to get sorted at some point in time but in the mean time it can be frustrating for some people.
As soon as it is announced that this vax or that is good for travel all over the world, then I'll stand in line and wait my turn.
If I get ill before then, so be it, doubt it though...
Today while waiting for my post surgery check up we witnessed one person using the disinfecting gel from a pump. After that about 3 other people gt up and rubbed down.One guy even went so far as to take a ,"bath" in the gel! He was rubbing it all up and down his arms and really enjoy it...OK, I've seen far too much I suppose.
Don't people understand whatever you put on your skin soaks into your blood stream?

I agree.  Embassies are pretty useless.  They never provided medical help before so why should they start now? 

On the other hand, why not use institutions like the UN/WHO or the Red Cross etc?  They are used to rendering aid.

Back on my mothership,  we'll hear who goes "green" on the 7 June.  That would mean essentially unlimited travel back home and maybe it'll be unlimited back to here too if HU is included.  Maybe the quarantine will be dropped to the majority of EU countries. Then all the certificates might have some value.  The HU certificate is hopeless now - covers places like Bahrain.  Well that's worthwhile. 

Mrs Fluffy said she'd like to go to the zoo if there were no crowds but apparently there were massive queues.  Moreover, I cannot go there.   We have a zoo here called Vadaspark with local forest animals in it which is all outside yet I'm not allowed in there either.   I was in Auchan this morning at a T-Mobile office and I was a lot closer to people there than I would be in the zoo.

Oh, btw, in Auchan, they never seem to have any hand cleaner in the dispensers.  Not cool.

Sorry Fluffy if I was not clear enough. I think is pretty evident that the majority of the Hungarians who are left to be vaccinated want to get Pfizer and not enough of that is coming in the country to get through everybody within a short time period. And if the government's attitude is that they want to get all Hungarians done first we are doomed for a while. When I realized that is when I went with plan B.
What I really don't understand is why not allow the foreigners who reside in Hungary to get the vaccines that they do have in abundance of like AZ, Sputnik or Sinopharm. They can just say look we do not have enough of the Pfizer or Moderna and we have to use it for those who won't take anything else and the 16-18 year old's and soon the 12-16 year old's but we gladly offer you what we do have. At that point it is that individual's choice what they want to do. Why not allow that choice when those vaccines are just sitting in a fridge unused? There is no answer to that question that is morally acceptable.
If I was given that choice I probably would have taken the AZ or even Sputnik instead of traveling.

notdude wrote:

Sorry Fluffy if I was not clear enough. I think is pretty evident that the majority of the Hungarians who are left to be vaccinated want to get Pfizer and not enough of that is coming in the country to get through everybody within a short time period. And if the government's attitude is that they want to get all Hungarians done first we are doomed for a while. When I realized that is when I went with plan B.
What I really don't understand is why not allow the foreigners who reside in Hungary to get the vaccines that they do have in abundance of like AZ, Sputnik or Sinopharm. They can just say look we do not have enough of the Pfizer or Moderna and we have to use it for those who won't take anything else and the 16-18 year old's and soon the 12-16 year old's but we gladly offer you what we do have. At that point it is that individual's choice what they want to do. Why not allow that choice when those vaccines are just sitting in a fridge unused? There is no answer to that question that is morally acceptable.
If I was given that choice I probably would have taken the AZ or even Sputnik instead of traveling.

I think we agree with each other.   I also think foreigners are doomed for our passports.

Personally, I am more than happy to have the AZ vaccine.  I am not happy to have the Chinese or Sinopharm as it won't be recognised internationally.

But those unused will be in the trash and wasted at the end of the day.

That part looks like incompetence and disorganisation.

I simply do not believe O1G's BS about IT systems, TAJ-cards or other excuses.  It does not make any sense at all.  They can easily record who got what and when.  They can even do it in Excel.   People have long memories. I'd call it a stitch up.

I am personally quite happy that (independent if we received two jabs or not (we did receive two Sputniks) and in we feel quite safe after 14 months of self isolation (I do not know if feeling safe is justified or not but we go out again).
Perhaps the current decrease is season driven (like last year), jab driven, or even rules.
We still did not receive our green card (3 weeks after) but walking around is already a pleasure. Indeed I would like to go abroad (for a different reason then most, but that is another matter).
Currently I am not complaining, we already went to restaurants a few times (outside seating is easy with good weather, concerts are a bit slow and so are other events, but that is fine, traffic is getting heavier but in any case we are still not swamped with tourists (Germany, Austria, Russia) which also has its pluses.

Would anyone have experience on receiving the green card, we went to City hall to chase, but no success so far.

I am a third party national.

Went to this site and signed up:

https://vakcinainfo.gov.hu/

Despite the "instant" reply claim, it took many days to get a reply. But I did get one in less than a week. That included instructions (in Hungarian) how to set up a time to get a vaccine. I (or rather my Hungarian wife who got Pfizer and negotiated the language issue for me) selected Pfizer as my preference, and was given an appointment.

Then my wife got an SMS from her local doctor saying they had Moderna locally and if I wanted that I could get it locally. Since that was much more convenient and closer, I got my appointment changed and got my first Moderna shot today.

It really was not that difficult. Yes, it took some time and a bit of work, but it did work. Hope this helps.