Nine European nations Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Estonia, and Switzerland approved of India’s Covishield.
The Serum Institute of India’s Covishield vaccine included in the”Green Pass” scheme, promotes free movement within the EU. On Wednesday India had informed them that it would “not recognise an EU vaccine pass for travellers unless the bloc does the same for India’s own vaccine certificate,” according to BBC News.
However, travel between India and Europe continues to be severely tightened and of the nine countries, India has an agreement only with Germany, which is a pivotal transportation fulcrum for Indian nationals travelling to Europe and North America.
However, queries are rising about travel to Europe by Indians who have received the Covishield jab, which is the version of the AstraZeneca vaccine made by Serum Institute of India, since the vaccine has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency.
Earlier, on Tuesday, German ambassador Walter Lindner tweeted his country recognises a double shot of Covishield as “valid proof of anti-Covid vaccination”, but also added that this does not “modify existing travel or visa restrictions for travellers from areas of concern/virus variants areas”.
India has informed the 27 EU member states that it will follow a system of mutuality in recognising COVID-19 vaccines for travel, and exempt EU nationals possessing the “green pass” from mandatory quarantine only if the bloc approves vaccines being administered in India, such as Covishield and Covaxin.
India also asked EU states to accept Covishield and Covaxin, as the vaccines have been authorised by WHO or the national authority, for Indian nationals travelling to Europe. Indian vaccination certificates can be authenticated by European authorities on the Co-WIN portal, the people said.
The European Union has said the EU Digital Covid Certificate or green pass is not a precondition to travel and individual member states have the option to accept vaccines approved by WHO such as Covishield.
The green pass framework, being implemented from July 1, is meant to allow free movement within the EU during the COVID pandemic. Under this, persons vaccinated with four vaccines approved by the EMA will be released from travel restrictions within the EU.
These four vaccines are CJohnson & Johnson’s Janssen, Comirnaty, Spikevax or the Moderna dose, and Vaxzevria or the European version of the AstraZeneca jab. Serum Institute of India has approached EMA for approving Covishield.
The 27 EU states have promoted easing travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers from outside the bloc to give a lift to the tourism sector, which has been knocked down by the pandemic.