British expats living in Spain are being refused Covid vaccines despite the country's government extending the roll-out to all residents, it has been claimed.
Local authorities are said to be turning away foreigners who don't have public health cards, with the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement specifying non-nationals must get private health insurance instead.
The Spanish Health Ministry has, however, repeatedly made it clear the jabs are to be equally accessible to everyone living in the country.
Expat John McKenzie, who has diabetes and a heart condition, said he has been stopped from registering at his local health centre in El Sauzal, Tenerife, four times since vaccinations got underway.
The 42-year-old told the Daily Telegraph : "The first time they said they cannot register people on private insurance for the vaccine in the absence of any instruction from the Canarian government.
"Go away, we don’t vaccinate foreigners," Mr McKenzie said he was told at one stage. “It’s very frightening not being able to have the vaccine when you have health conditions like I do."
Have you been turned away for a vaccine in Spain? Let us know at webnews@mirror.co.uk
Kate Harmond, who moved from Brighton to Lanzarote, said her and her husband, both in their 60s, were initially turned away by a health centre in Arrecife.
"We had an appointment, but when we got there they said that we couldn’t have the vaccine as we did not have a public health card," she told the newspaper.
After showing "every single possible document you can imagine" to prove residency they were eventually given a jab, she added.
A spokesperson for the Spanish Health Ministry told the Telegraph: "It is the regional governments who are in charge of the vaccination programme."
It comes after Spain was included on England's amber list for travel when the border re-opens on May 17, meaning holidaymakers will not be exempt from quarantining on return.
After the announcement on Friday, Benidorm's mayor Toni Pérez was among those who slammed the UK government for not putting the country on the green list.
In contrast, fellow holiday hotspot Portugal, which was a green lister, saw bookings go through the roof in the hours after the Downing Street briefing.
