Accept Covaxin, Covishield certificates or we won't recognise yours: India to EU
New Delhi: As the European Union relaxes travel restrictions under its 'Green Passport' scheme, India has requested the members of the 27-nation grouping to individually consider allowing Indians who have taken Covishield and Covaxin vaccines to travel to Europe, sources said.
Sources also said that India will begin a reciprocal policy when it comes to the exemption from quarantine. This would mean that unless the European Union accepts Covishield and Covaxin certificates, their certificates will not be accepted in the country and people from EU will face mandatory quarantine upon arrival in India.
"We have also conveyed to EU member states that India will institute a reciprocal policy for recognition of the EU Digital Covid Certificate," the source said.
"Upon notification of Covishield and Covaxin for inclusion in the EU Digital Covid Certificate and recognition of Indian CoWIN vaccination certificates, Indian health authorities would reciprocally exempt the EU member state concerned for exemption from the mandatory quarantine of all those persons carrying EU digital COVID certificate," the source said.
The sources said India has requested the EU member nations to accept the vaccination certificate issued through the CoWIN portal.
Earlier on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took up the issue of inclusion of Covishield in the EU COVID-19 Vaccination Passport with a top European Union official and promised to follow up the matter.
"Discussed vaccine production and access. Took up Covishield' authorisation for travel to Europe. Will be following up," Jaishankar tweeted.
The European Union's Digital COVID certificate framework to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic is to come into effect on Thursday.
Under this framework, persons who have taken vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will be exempted from travel restrictions within the EU.
The individual member states have the flexibility to also accept vaccines that have been authorised at the national level or by the World Health Organisation.
There have been apprehensions in India that people who took Covishield and Covaxin jabs are unlikely to be eligible to travel to the European Union member states under its 'Green Pass' scheme.
Meanwhile, vaccine major Serum Institute of India chief executive officer Adar Poonawalla said on Wednesday that the company is confident of receiving approval from the EMA for its COVID-19 vaccine Covishield in a month.
"The EMA is absolutely correct in asking us to apply, which we have through AstraZeneca, our partners, a month ago, and that process has to take its time. An approval process even with UK MHRA, WHO took its time and we have applied to the EMA," Poonawalla said at India Global Forum 2021.
"We are quite confident that in a month EMA will approve Covishield. There is no reason why not to, because it is based on AstraZeneca data and our product is identical to AstraZeneca more or less and it has been approved by WHO, UK MHRA. So it's just a matter of time. It is not really going to hinder anything," he added.
