Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Just a day after Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar urging the 27-member European Union (EU) to allow entry to those Indians inoculated with India’s Covid-19 vaccines—Covishield and Covaxin–ten EU nations on Thursday allowed the Serum Institute of India (SII)-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs (Covishield).
India had pressed the EU member states to individually consider extending the exemption to those travelling to Europe after taking Covishield and Covaxin jabs, and said New Delhi will institute a reciprocal policy for recognition of the EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate. In simple words, it meant that EU citizens entering India after taking their own vaccines could be quarantined in India.
This ‘principle of reciprocal policy’, apparently, forced the EU members to change their earlier stance and allow entry to the Indian travellers travelling to Europe after taking India-made vaccines.
Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Estonia and Spain confirmed accepting Covishield for travel entry. Switzerland has also allowed Covishield for the Schengen state, media reported.
Estonia has confirmed that it will recognize all the vaccines authorized by the Government of India for the travel of Indians to Estonia.
Dr Jaishankar had, on Tuesday, met Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and discussed vaccine production and access. He also took up Covishield’s authorisation for travel to Europe.
The Indian EAM, who is in Italy for the G-20 foreign ministers meeting, said he will be following up on the matter concerning authorisation for made in India Covid-19 vaccine. Travellers inoculated with the Covishield vaccine can now get a green pass to enter Switzerland.
“We have requested EU member states to individually consider extending the similar exemption to those persons who have taken Covid-19 vaccines in India i.e. Covishield and Covaxin, and accept the vaccination certificate issued through the CoWIN portal. The genuineness of such vaccination certification can be authenticated on the CoWIN portal,” reports quoting diplomatic sources said.
The EU has introduced the EU Digital Covid Certificate framework to facilitate safe free movement during the pandemic, effective from July 1.
Under this framework, persons vaccinated with vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will be exempted from travel restrictions within the EU, sources said adding that individual member states have the flexibility to also accept vaccines that have been authorized at the national level or by the World Health Organization (WHO).
EU Ambassador to India Ugo Astuto clarified that there is no ban in the EU on the Covishield vaccine, produced by the SII, and developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.