Vaccine Passport: India asks EU to recognize Covaxin, Covishield

New Delhi: India on Wednesday formally requested EU member states to include both CovaShield and Covaxin in their exemption list for vaccine passports. It is likely to come into effect from July 1. India made it clear that its failure to do so would force it to enforce mandatory quarantine rules for EU citizens.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved only four vaccines – Cominternity of Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna, Wexgerviria AstraZeneca-Oxford and Johnson & Johnson’s Jenson. Only those vaccinated with these vaccines will be given a vaccination passport and allowed to travel within the EU during the pandemic.

“Individual member states have the flexibility to accept vaccines at the national level or authorized by the World Health Organization,” government sources told the media.

Urging the member states to accept vaccination certificates issued through the CoWIN portal, the Indian authorities said that the genuineness of such vaccination certification can be attested through CoWIN.

Government sources said that we have also informed the EU member states that India will establish a reciprocal policy for the recognition of EU digital COVID certificates. Upon notification of Covishield and Covaxin for inclusion in EU digital COVID certificates and recognition of Indian CoWIN immunization certificates, the Indian health authorities shall ask the concerned EU Member State to compulsorily quarantine all persons holding an EU digital COVID certificate. Will give discount

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had raised the issue with European Union High Representative Josep Borrell Fonteles on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Italy on Tuesday.

(with agency input)