European Union recently announced that it will not consider Covishield and Covaxin for its Digital Covid Certificate or 'Green Pass' and in respone India on Wednesday told EU member states that it would exempt their vaccinated people from mandatory quarantine if they recognise Indian vaccines and vaccination certificates.
Travelers to India from other countries are currently required to quarantine themselves. The EU's Digital Covid Certificate, which was created to allow vaccinated persons to move freely during the pandemic, will take effect on Thursday. According to sources, India has informed EU member states that it will implement a reciprocal policy for the recognition of the EU Digital Covid Certificate. Indian health authorities would reciprocally exclude people from the EU member states involved from mandatory quarantine when travelling once Covaxin and Covishield are notified to be included for the Digital Covid Certificate and Indian CoWIN vaccination certificates are recognised. This exemption will only be granted to those who have obtained an EU Digital Covid Certificate.
WHAT IS EU's COVID CERTIFICATE?
The European Union has created a framework called the EU Digital Covid Certificate to make it easier for vaccinated persons to move freely within the EU. Persons who have received Covid-19 vaccinations that have been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are exempt from travel restrictions within the EU under this system.
Individual EU member states, on the other hand, have the option to accept vaccines that have been approved at the national or international level (WHO).
In this respect, India has urged that EU member states consider granting similar exemptions to people who have received Covid-19 vaccines in India (such as Covishield and Covaxin) and accept the immunisation certificate given through the CoWIN portal. (The WHO has approved Covishield, and Covaxin has received regulatory approval in India and a few other countries.)
The authenticity of the vaccination certificates may be verified on the CoWIN platform, India told EU member states.
EU CLARIFICATION ON APPLICABILITY RULE?
The EU Digital Covid Certificates are not a pre-requisite for travel into the EU, according to an EU official.
The certificate is a useful tool that can make travel easier in circumstances when limitations have been eased, the official said.
Covishield is currently not approved for sale in the European Union. However, the WHO Emergency Use Listing process has been completed. Member States may enable travellers fully vaccinated with this vaccine to enter the EU (without an essential cause) based on the appropriate Council Recommendation on the temporary limitation of non-essential travel to the EU.
