India is all set to follow the European Union’s suit in imposing mandatory quarantine for citizens from its member countries on arrival in India.
This action will respond to the European Union’s denial in accepting the vaccines made in India, like Covishield and Covaxin, for its ‘vaccination passport.’
For further clarification, the EU is not allowing India’s citizens to be vaccinated with either of the two vaccines without a mandatory quarantine.
As a result of this, sources have said that India will start with a reciprocal policy of the exact nature in terms of exemption from quarantine.
EU Not Accepting Indian Vaccines
The European Union member countries are currently accepting only vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Janssen.
However, the version of AstraZeneca created by Covishield has still not gotten clearance by the European Medicines Agency.
Some sources in the foreign ministry familiar with the issue have said that the Indian government has asked the EU to notify Covishield and Covaxin in its digital Covid certificate.
However, the European Union ambassador to India, Ugo Astuto, responds that every approval process of the vaccine must be conducted on its merit.
It has also been informed that the Serum Institute of India has applied for EU’s nod for Covishield through its European partner, AstraZeneca. Still, according to the European Medicines Agency, no such request has been received.
India Looks out to Begin Reciprocal Policy
In response to the EU’s denial of letting Indian citizens vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin into their member countries without a compulsory quarantine, India has decided to do the same.
This means unless the European Union accepts Covishield and Covaxin certificates, their certificates will not be accepted in the country, and people from the EU will face mandatory quarantine upon arrival in India, states NDTV.
Foreign minister S Jaishankar tweeted on this issue on Tuesday, “Discussed vaccine production and access. Took up ‘Covishield’ authorisation for travel to Europe. Will be following up.”