Nine countries in Europe accepting Covishield for travel, says report

Nine European nations – Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Estonia and Switzerland – have cleared Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, sources said today, amid a row over vaccines accepted for a “green pass” allowing free travel in the region.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), the EU’s top medical body, has approved only four vaccines so far – Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty, US pharma giant Moderna’s Covid vaccine, the AstraZeneca shot manufactured and sold in Europe as Vaxzervria, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen. Only those who have been given these shots are granted vaccination passports and allowed to travel hassle-free amid the pandemic.