The 27-member European bloc is introducing the European Union (EU) Digital COVID Certificate, which is meant to facilitate safe free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic within the EU. However, Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan Ugo Astuto said that it was not a pre-condition to travel. He also clarified that there is no "ban" on Covishield.
"It is to clarify there is no banning on Covishield, we have set up in place a new system of digital COVID certificate which is meant to facilitate travel within the European Union," said Astuto. He added, "Basically, this certificate is proof that a person is vaccinated against COVID or received a negative test or recovered from COVID-19. So this is meant as a facilitator but it is not a precondition for travel."
Astuto said that people who are not vaccinated should still be allowed to travel, "subject to the usual restrictions like testing, quarantine, self-isolation measures related to COVID health policy".
Replying to the query as to why the Vaxzevria (vaccine) of same AstraZeneca is permitted in EU and not Covishield, Astuto said, "These are medical issues, medical experts will be better placed than me to respond. Every approval process of vaccines must be conducted on its own merit." He also added, "No matter how close the process is, it is because vaccines are biological products so even a tiny difference in manufacturing conditions can result in differences. So each and every product needs to undergo its own scrutiny process."
Earlier in the day (June 29), a EU official had said that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has not received any request for approval of authorisation of the COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, and that "it will examine any such request when received, as per its procedures."
(With ANI inputs)
