India has given an ultimatum to European countries saying that it will not recognise the EU’s digital COVID certificate until the EU includes Indian vaccines Covishield and Covaxin in the certificate.
India has made it very clear that the European Union or individual nations of Europe must allow Indians who have taken Covishield and Covaxin vaccines to travel to Europe, news agency PTI reported citing sources said.
This is the first time India has made a diplomatic retaliatory move against vaccine nationalism and said India will only recognise EU digital COVID certificate on a reciprocal basis. The EU “green Pass” is expected to come into effect from July 1.
“We have conveyed to EU Member States that India will institute a reciprocal policy for recognition of the EU Digital Covid Certificate. Upon notification of Covishield and Covaxin for inclusion in the EU Digital Covid Certificate and recognition of Indian CoWIN vaccination certificates, Indian health authorities would reciprocally exempt the concerned EU Member State for exemption from mandatory quarantine all those persons carrying EU Digital Covid Certificate,” sources said.
The European Union’s ‘vaccine passport’ program has approved only four vaccines, Vaxzevria (Oxford-AstraZeneca), Comirnaty (Pfizer-BioNTech), Spikevax (Moderna) and Janssen-Johnson & Johnson.
However, Covishield is exactly the same as Vaxzevria, but has not been recogniosed and Covaxin has not made the cut as is yet to get World Health Organisation (WHO) approval.
Foreign minister S Jaishankar said he would be talking to EU authorities and will hold talk with EU high representative Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting at Matera, Italy.
India has officially requested the EU member states to “individually consider extending similar exemption to those persons who have taken Covid-19 vaccines in India i.e. Covishield and Covaxin, and accept the vaccination certificate issued through the CoWIN portal.”
(With inputs from ToI)
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