A woman has been told she could be hit with a £10,000 fine if she breaks self-isolation to attend a lifesaving cancer appointment.
Karin Bednarz, who is registered disabled, has breast cancer, which doctors believe has now spread.
The 61-year-old is in the UK from Germany visiting her daughter and three grandchildren.
She was due to travel home last Wednesday for her appointment on Monday.
But last week one of her granddaughters, aged 11, tested positive for Covid.
Despite being double-jabbed, Karin was told by NHS Test and Trace that she must remain in self-isolation for at least 10 days due to being vaccinated in Germany.
Karin, from Essen near Bremen, said: "If I had the virus or wasn't double-jabbed I could understand."
Under current rules, fully-vaccinated people are exempt self-isolation if they received their Covid vaccines in the UK.
Have you been left stranded because you had your vaccines abroad? Get in touch: emma.munbodh@mirror.co.uk
However, the Test and Trace programme refuses to recognise any vaccines administered outside the UK, despite the majority coming from the same suppliers.
That means anyone vaccinated in the EU faces a 10-day self-isolation period if they are ‘pinged’ or come into contact with someone with the virus.
The ten days are counted from the time of contact with the person who tested positive.
The Department for Transport says: “If a person has been vaccinated abroad they are required to self-isolate if they test positive or have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive, even if they have received a vaccine equivalent to those approved by the MHRA for use in the UK.
“Our domestic verification process currently only recognises the vaccination status of individuals who received their vaccine in the UK.”
No plans are in place to relax these measures, although it added: “We continue to keep this under review.”
New rules on PCR tests came into force on Sunday, October 24.
Eligible fully vaccinated passengers arriving in England from countries not on the UK’s red list can now take a cheaper lateral flow test instead of a PCR.
Lateral flow tests must be taken as soon as possible on the day of arrival in England or at the latest before the end of a passenger’s second day.
They can be purchased from the government's list of approved providers and prices start at £22.
Lateral flow tests for international travel must be purchased from a private provider as NHS Test and Trace lateral flow tests cannot be used for international travel.
Passengers who have already bought a PCR to use for travel do not need to buy another test as PCRs can still be used.
Passengers must take a photo of their lateral flow test and booking reference supplied by the private provider and send it back to them to verify the result.
Anyone testing positive will need to isolate and take a PCR test from the NHS.
These can be accessed free of charge online or by calling 119.
