Vaccination certificates must meet minimum criteria: UK on travel rules

(MENAFN- NewsBytes) On the issue of the non-recognition of India's COVID-19 vaccine certification, the United Kingdom has maintained that the vaccination certificates of all countries must meet the minimum criteria. The country also said it is working with international partners, including India, on a "phased approach" to its travel norms. Notably, India's COVID-19 vaccine certification is not on the list of 18 approved countries.

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• India issued sharp reactions to UK's non-recognition of Covishield

A UK government spokesperson told PTI that the "minimum criteria" for vaccine certification is necessary to protect public health and reopening travel in a safe and sustainable way. However, confusion prevails as there is no clarity on the required criteria for approving a country's vaccine certification. UK government sources said additions or changes to the approved country listings are being kept under regular consideration.

Speaking to PTI, the spokesperson added, "Our top priority remains protecting public health, and reopening travel in a safe and sustainable way, which is why vaccine certification from all countries must meet the minimum criteria taking into account public health and wider considerations."

On Wednesday, the UK had revised its travel advisory and added Covishield as an approved vaccine to its expanded travel advisory. However, it has not yet approved the COVID-19 vaccine certification issued by India, which invoked sharp criticism in India. This means Indians vaccinated with Covishield will continue to be treated as unvaccinated and would require to quarantine in the UK upon entry.

Reacting to criticism in India over the non-recognition of India's vaccine certification, UK government sources said that its inbound vaccination program to other countries and territories was always intended as a "phased approach," building on the success of pilots with the US and Europe.

Due to the non-recognition of India's vaccine certification, Indian travelers to the UK must take a COVID-19 test before departure. They would also need to pay for day two and day eight RT-PCR tests upon their arrival in England and self-isolate for 10 days. There is also an option of "test to release" after five days following a negative RT-PCR test.

Initially, the UK had only recognized Oxford-AstraZeneca , Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Janssen as legitimate COVID-19 vaccines. After revision, it added formulations AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria, and Moderna Takeda. However, travelers must have completed the course of these vaccines at least 14 days prior to their arrival.

On Monday, India termed the UK government's non-recognition of Covishield "discriminatory," saying the move impacts Indian citizens traveling to that country. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had warned the UK that India might also take "reciprocal measures" if the issue is not resolved. Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also raised the issue with the UK Foreign Secretary for an "early resolution."

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