A drug showing a dosage vial of Covaxin at a government hospital in Kolkata
Highlight
- Covaxin is India’s indigenously manufactured vaccine.
- International travelers need to pre-book a PCR or Lateral Flow Test upon arrival in England.
- The UK added Covaxin to its list of approved COVID vaccines after achieving WHO EUL status.
Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has made it to the UK’s list of approved COVID-19 vaccines for international travellers. Covaxin is India’s indigenously manufactured vaccine, one of the vaccines being used nationwide in the vaccination campaign against the pandemic.
It will further benefit fully vaccinated Indians planning to travel to the UK without the need for pre-departure PCR testing or self-isolation at the address declared on their mandatory passenger locator form.
Requirements for international travelers
Like other fully vaccinated travellers, including those vaccinated with CovShield, international travelers are required to pre-book a PCR or lateral flow test upon arrival in England, which is taken before the end of Day 2. .
“From 4am on Monday 22 November, the government will recognize vaccines at the border on the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use List (WHO EUL),” the UK Department of Transport (DFT) confirmed.
“As a result, Sinovac, Sinopharm Beijing and Covaxin will be added to our existing list of approved vaccines for inbound travel, benefiting more fully vaccinated travellers,” it said.
Covaxin has WHO EUL status
Earlier this month, Bharat Biotech manufactured Covaxin – the second most widely used formulation in India – received WHO EUL status, resulting in the UK adding it to its list of approved COVID vaccines from 22 November. announced plans.
The WHO Emergency Use Inventory process involves a review of quality, safety and efficacy data conducted by WHO experts, and several countries such as the United States, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Iceland have recognized this classification.
Meanwhile, travelers who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will have to undergo a pre-departure test and 10-day quarantine at an announced address in the UK.
UK to ease travel rules for all under-18s
From Monday, the UK government said it was also easing travel rules for all under-18s arriving in England from a non-red-listed country who must be fully quarantined at the border, regardless of their individual vaccination status. will be treated as vaccination.
This means they will be exempted from self-isolation requirements on arrival and if they test positive, they will be required to take only lateral flow tests after arrival, along with a free confirmatory PCR test.
While public health is an evolving matter, the government said it is working closely with the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to ensure a UK-wide approach to the rules.
Read also: Canada to allow entry of passengers fully vaccinated with SinoPharm, Sinovac and Covaxin
,