Accept Covishield and Covaxin for 'Green Pass' or undergo mandatory quarantine: India to EU

Amid the ongoing controversy over the European Union’s (EU) reluctance in accepting Covishield and Covaxin for its Digital Covid Certificate or ‘Green Pass’, India on Wednesday has subtly warned of a reciprocal policy when it comes to an exemption from quarantine.

This implies that the Centre will exempt mandatory quarantine for vaccinated people from EU member states if they recognise Indian vaccines and vaccination certificates. At present, people travelling to India from abroad have to mandatorily quarantine themselves. This exemption will however be given only to those persons who carry the EU Digital Covid Certificate.

If and when Covishield and Covaxin are included in the EU Digital Covid Certificate that comes into effect from July 1, India has offered to reciprocally exempt the concerned EU Member State from mandatory quarantine.

“We have requested EU Member States to individually consider accept the vaccination certificate issued through the CoWIN portal. Their genuineness can be authenticated on the CoWIN portal,” said sources.

The EU Digital Covid Certificate framework from July 1 will exempt persons vaccinated with vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Individual member states have the flexibility to also accept vaccines that have been authorised at the national level or by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The EU Certificate lists four approved vaccines and does not include India-made Covishield which, however, has been approved by the WHO.