Covishield approved in 16 European countries

16 European countries have recognised Covishield, the Indian version of Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine, paving the way for entry to international travellers amid coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

France on Saturday got on the list of countries that have recognised Covishield, the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, Pune for international travel. It is the 16th EU member to recognise the vaccine for inclusion in the EU green pass, which allows entry to travellers amid COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is indeed good news for travellers, as we see 16 European countries recognising Covishield as an acceptable vaccine for entry. However, despite being vaccinated, entry guidelines might vary from country to country,” Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India said.

The approval comes at a time when Covishield has been omitted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for its “vaccine passport” programme that allows free movement of people in and out of Europe. This means, Indians vaccinated with Covishield jabs are unlikely to be eligible to travel to the European Union member states under its ‘Green Pass’ scheme, that will be rolled out from July 1, 2021.

16 countries that accept Covishield

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and France are the 16 countries that now recognise Covishield. Out of these, 13 are EU members._Agencies