India will not recognise a EU vaccine pass for travellers unless the bloc does the same for India’s own vaccine certificate, sources told the BBC.
The move comes amid reports that the India-made Covishield is not yet eligible for EU’s digital green certificate set to launch on Thursday.
The certificate is currently for EU citizens only.
Covishield is the Indian-made version of AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria jab, which has been authorised in the EU.
India’s Serum Institute, which is making the vaccine, is seeking emergency authorisation in the European Union for its jab.
The vaccines currently eligible for the green pass have all been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
A source in India’s external affairs ministry said India had requested EU states to individually consider extending similar exemption to people who had taken Covid-19 vaccines in India – Covishield and Covaxin – and “accept the vaccination certificate” issued by a government portal.
India had conveyed to the EU states that Delhi would “institute a reciprocal policy for recognition of the EU digital Covid certificate” the source said.
After the EU decides to include Covishield and Covaxin in the digital certificate and recognises Indian vaccination certificates, Indian health authorities would reciprocally exempt EU states for “exemption from mandatory quarantine” of travellers to India carrying the EU vaccine pass, the source said.
“Right now, our understanding is that this certificate is meant for travel within the EU. But it could become the norm for all international travel. Nothing changes currently because most international travel is suspended. These certificates will become important when all travel resumes. We are saying, we will accept each other’s certificates reciprocally. Why are you discriminating against our certification?,” one of the sources said.
The EU pass is a QR code made available in digital form on smart phones or hard copy and shows whether the traveller is vaccinated with one of the EU’s approved jabs, has recovered from an infection, or has a recent negative Covid-19 test, according to the AFP news agency.
The pass will help do away with the need for quarantines or further testing for travellers between the EU’s 27 countries or four associated European nations – Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The European Commission has left it to individual member states to decide whether to allow travellers who have received vaccines “that have been authorised at the national level or by the World Health Organization (WHO)”.
Covishield was listed for emergency use by the WHO in February.
India has so far overwhelmingly administered Covishield jabs – they account for more than 284 million of the 323 or so million vaccinations given so far.
With the total case tally of more than 30 million, India is now only behind the United States which has reported over 34 million cases. The number of daily cases has come down to less than 40,000 from the peaks of 400,000 in May. But experts have warned that the threat a possible third wave still looms.
The country has officially recorded close to 400,000 deaths – behind the US and Brazil.
Only 4.6% of the people have been fully vaccinated and 21% have received one dose since the beginning of the drive in January.
The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission recently said that introducing Covid status certificates would be discriminating against some groups saying they could create a “two-tier society whereby only certain groups are able to fully enjoy their rights”.
SOURCE: BBC
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