Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla on Monday stated he was attempting to resolve the challenges becoming faced by Indians, who have been vaccinated with Covishield, in travelling to European nations.
A European Union (EU) vaccine passport programme will permit persons to travel freely inside the bloc from July 1, as extended as they have had one of 4 Western-made vaccines. While this consists of the AstraZeneca shot, it does not extend to Covishield, the Indian version made by SII.
In a tweet, Poonawalla stated he would take up the issued with the EU regulators and also deal with it at a diplomatic level with nations. “I realise that a lot of Indians who have taken COVISHIELD are facing issues with travel to the E.U., I assure everyone, I have taken this up at the highest levels and hope to resolve this matter soon, both with regulators and at a diplomatic level with countries,” he tweeted.
Serum made 300 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines till mid-June and the nation has administered 28.35 crore Covishield doses till date. SII has applied to the EU regulator, European Medicines Agency (EMA), for approval, but is but to get it. The EU has recognised the Vaxzevria brand of vaccine made by AstraZeneca in Europe. SII has a tie-up with AstraZeneca to make this vaccine in India, sold beneath the Covishield brand name. Apart from Vaxzevria, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines have made it to the EU Green Pass list.
According to reports, the ministry of external affairs has currently raised the situation of Covishield’s lack of recognition by the EMA.
—With agency inputs