African Union warns EU over vaccine certificate 'inequality'
South Africa vaccine demand
The African Unionhas warned that the European Union's non-recognition of AstraZeneca Covidvaccines manufactured in India will impose major disadvantages for people who received the jabs in Africa.
As per the new rules, the EU will do away with the need for quarantines and further testing for travellers immunised with Covid vaccines recognised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). These travellers will receive a digital Covid certificate showing their vaccination status.
The EU digital Covid certificate is meant to facilitate safe movement during the pandemic within the European Union. It will serve as proof that the person was vaccinated against the virus or received a negative result or recovered from COVID-19.
Read |Covishield becomes collateral damage in the inter EU tussle over Chinese vaccines
In a joint statement released Monday, the African Union (AU) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the rules "put at risk the equitable treatment" of people vaccinated in Africa.
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"These developments are concerning given that the Covishield vaccine has been the backbone of the EU-supported Covax contributions to the AU Member States’ vaccination programmes," the statement added.
The European Commission spokesman Adalbert Jahnz said that individual EU governments may decide to allow entry to travellers who have received jabs recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes Covishield.
He further added that Covishield "is an issue that we are looking at in more detail".
Covishield, while on WHO's authorized list, is not listed by the European Medicines Agency. EMA supervises medicinal products for marketing authorisation in the block. The EU green pass that comes into effect from July 1 and eases travel movement in the block uses the EMA list.
In a statement to WION, on Monday, European Medicines Agency said Covishield does not currently have a marketing authorisation in the bloc, pointing out that "should we receive a marketing authorization application for Covishield ...we would communicate about it."
Each member country is also allowed to use any vaccine that it is okay with. Switzerland has made it clear that anyone who has been vaccinated or who have recovered do not have to produce a negative test even when travelling from countries where the Delta variant is widespread such as India or the United Kingdom. Ireland has listed Covishield as one of the vaccines for travellers coming to the country. Meanwhile, France is "actively working" on allowing Covishield after India raised the matter.