Original title: In order to make AstraZeneca not inferior in the EU, India fights
[文/观察者网 鞠峰]
According to the latest news from the British and Indian media, 9 European countries finally included tourists who received the Covidshield vaccine into the travel whitelist, although the European Medicines Agency (EMA) did not include this “printed version” of AstraZeneca in the vaccine passport program .
Earlier, Covishield, a vaccine produced by AstraZeneca authorized by the Serological Institute of India, failed to obtain EMA approval and was not included in the European Union’s vaccine passport program. The Indian people were very angry about this, calling out “insulted”.
Now, this Indian-produced AstraZeneca is no longer “inferior” in nine European countries. Behind this, the arduous diplomatic efforts of the Indian government have been confirmed by many parties. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) broke the news that India and EU countries “negotiated conditions”: let them “consider” whether to include printed vaccines in the list, otherwise they would not recognize their vaccine passports. The Indian media also broke the news that the Indian government contacted 27 EU countries one by one to propose isolation and mutual exemption.
On July 1, the BBC received news from sources that Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland, and Spain have approved that travelers vaccinated with Indian Covishield will be included in the EU’s “green pass” and can travel freely in the region. Passable.
The source also revealed that Iceland and Switzerland have also made the same commitment-although the two countries are not in the European Union, they belong to the Schengen Convention. Finally, Estonia confirmed that it will recognize all vaccines approved in India, that is, another vaccine made in India, Covaxin, is also included.
——So far,9 European countries recognized the Covishiield vaccine, Of which 7 are EU countries.
The Hindustan Times (HT) and New Delhi Television (NDTV) also confirmed the news from their respective sources on July 1.
Screenshots of Hindustan Times and New Delhi TV reportsAccording to an earlier report by Reuters, the “Vaccine Passport Program” launched by the European Medicines Agency took effect on July 1. According to the EU plan, travelers who have been vaccinated for 14 days can travel freely between EU countries. Currently, the four vaccines approved by the FDA are Pfizer, Modena, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca (Vaxzervria) produced in Europe. The Indian version of AstraZeneca Covisield was not approved.
But according to New Delhi TV, the European Union stated that “Member States can decide whether to expand the scope of designated vaccines.”
In order to allow Europe to recognize the Covishield vaccine produced in India, the diplomatic efforts of the Indian government have gradually been exposed by the media.
India’s “Economic Times” reported on June 28 that the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had raised the issue of vaccines to the European Medicines Agency. The New Delhi TV station received news from sources in the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 30 that India’s isolation and mutual immunity policy will also take effect, which means that passengers entering India from Europe will face mandatory isolation unless the European Union approves India’s Covishield and Covaxin vaccine.
The British BBC learned the latest news from insiders in the Indian Ministry of the Interior: India has asked the 27 EU countries to individually consider expanding the scope of isolation and mutual immunity, including Covishield and Covaxin in the “white list”, and Recognize the vaccine passport of the Indian government.
The source said that India told EU countries that the Indian government would “implement a mutual recognition policy for EU electronic vaccine passports.”
With so many countries connecting one by one, huge diplomatic efforts are required. It seems that the Indian government has really “fighted” this time. So is the BBC news accurate?
The Indian media The Wire also learned from sources that the Indian government has contacted each of the 27 EU countries to establish a vaccine passport mutual recognition policy so that travelers to both sides can be exempted from quarantine. In response to India’s request, seven EU countries agreed to add Covishield to the list of recognition.
Screenshot of The Wire reportThe Times of India seems to quote the same source as The Wire, confirming the behind-the-scenes work of the Indian government. The newspaper also broke the news that India also hopes that countries like Hungary will accept the “authentic domestic product”-Covaxin vaccine produced by India’s Bharat Biotech. “Because Hungary is the only European country that gives people Russian satellite V and China National Medicine vaccines.”
According to the BBC report, the Covishield vaccine has been injected on a large scale in India-of the 350 million doses administered, Covishield accounted for 290 million doses.
The European Medicines Agency said on the 30th that the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield has not been authorized in the EU due to possible “differences” from the original vaccine. EMA explained, “Vaccines are biological products, and very subtle differences in production conditions may cause differences in finished products. Therefore, EU law requires manufacturing sites and production processes to be evaluated and approved as part of the authorization process.”
The Times of India reported on the 30th that the Indian Serum Institute, the producer of Covishield, had passed AstraZeneca on the same day and issued an application for marketing authorization of the vaccine in the European Union to EMA.
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