'Indeed good news': Serum CEO Adar Poonawalla as France allows Covishield jabbed travellers
Premium'However, despite being vaccinated, entry guidelines might vary from country to country, so do read up before you travel,' Poonawalla said on Twitter
Serum Institute of India (SII)'s chief Adar Poonawalla expressed his happiness when he learnt that after much speculations over travel rules for those vaccinated by Serum-developed Covishield vaccine, France has allowed visitors to enter after being fully vaccinated by the India-made version of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.
"It is indeed good news for travellers, as we see sixteen European countries recognising COVISHIELD as an acceptable vaccine for entry. However despite being vaccinated, entry guidelines might vary from country to country, so do read up before you travel," Poonawalla said on Twitter quoting a news report.
Several other EU countries already accept the Indian version, which is notably used in the U.K. and around Africa. The varied rules from each country have further complicated this summer's travel season.
However, with France's nod, now, 16 European countries have currently have given "green pass" to travellers who are vaccinated with Covishield.
The countries are: Switzerland, Iceland, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Netherland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Belgium and newly-added France.
France will allow international travellers who have had AstraZeneca's Indian-manufactured vaccine into the country starting Sunday.
At the same time, France is tightening border checks to control the spread of the delta variant and protect hospitals, according to a statement from the prime minister Saturday.
The move to accept visitors vaccinated with AstraZeneca's vaccine made by India's Serum Institute came after a global outcry over the fact that the European Union's COVID-19 certificate only recognises AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in Europe.
France still doesn't recognise vaccinations by Chinese or Russian vaccines, only those authorised by the EU drug regulator: those made by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson&Johnson and AstraZeneca.
Starting Sunday, France will also start requiring anyone who isn't vaccinated arriving from Britain, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Greece or Cyprus to present a negative test less than 24 hours old to cross French borders.
Tunisia, Indonesia, Cuba and Mozambique have now been added to France's “red list" of countries with high virus risk, according to Saturday's statement. However, France will now accept travellers from any red list countries if they are fully vaccinated.
France also shortened the time frame for when a person is considered fully vaccinated after the second dose, to one week instead of two.
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