The Government has denied claims that any Britons have been given doses of the Covidshield vaccine following reports it could affect millions of peoples’ holidays abroad this summer.
The Telegraph reported on Friday up to five million Britons given the AstraZeneca jab may not be able to go on holiday in Europe if their dose came from a batch manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
The newspaper reported three batches of AstraZeneca administered in the UK were a version known as Covishield which is not authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the new EU digital Covid certificate vaccine passport scheme.
The new scheme allows the fully vaccinated, recently tested, or those who have recovered from the virus to move across EU borders freely without having to quarantine or take extra tests.
It raised fears many Britons travelling to EU countries could be turned away if their vaccine batch number appeared to be one of those affected.
Earlier in the day Boris Johnson had played down travel concerns and said he was “very confident” issue would be resolved.
Speaking after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he said: “I see no reason at all why the MHRA-approved vaccines should not be recognised as part of the vaccine passports. I am very confident that will not prove to be a problem.”
A Government spokesperson later said no Covidshield vaccines have been administered in the UK, adding that all doses used in the UK have been subject to rigorous safety and quality checks by the MHRA.
How can I check my vaccine batch number?
If you had the AstraZeneca jab you can check the batch number on your vaccine card and in the Covid travel pass available via the NHS app.
The three batch numbers reported to have been manufactured in India are: 4120Z001, 4120Z002, 4120Z003.
The AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in the UK or Europe is sold under the brand name Vaxzevria and is approved by the EMA along with the the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson jabs.
The batch number is the only way to identify which version of the jab you had as UK authorities use the brand name Vaxzevria on all UK medical records when AstraZeneca is used.
The EU vaccine passport will soon integrate with the Covid travel pass on the NHS app. It works by scanning a QR code which then gives information including the traveller’s name, date of birth and vaccine details including the batch number.
After the story broke on Friday Downing Street said it will work with the European Commission on mutual recognition of vaccine certification, stressing that all AstraZeneca vaccines used in the UK are the “same product and subject to regular checks”.
A Government spokesperson said no Covidshield vaccines have been administered in the UK.
“All AstraZeneca vaccines given in the UK are the same product and appear on the NHS COVID Pass as Vaxzevria. The European Medicines Agency has authorised this vaccine and we’re confident travel will not be affected,” they said.
“All doses used in the UK have been subject to rigorous safety and quality checks, including individual batch testing and physical site inspections, by the medicine’s regulator, the MHRA.
“The EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate is currently for EU citizens only, or third country nationals legally staying or resident in the EU. Ensuring safe and open travel with our global partners is a clear priority and we are engaging the European Commission on certification.”
Why is the Covidshield vaccine not authorised in the EU?
There is no suggestion that the Indian manufactured doses are any different from the European batches. It does not have EMA authorisation only because the Indian manufacturers have not yet sought a licence for the product in Europe. The SII intend to mostly supply the doses to low and middle income countries.
Responding to the reported claims about the distribution of the Covidshield vaccine, Professor Adam Finn, from the Government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said the batches are “exactly the same stuff”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This is an administrative hurdle that needs to be straightened out but people should not be concerned that they are in some way less well protected.
“We’re in the early days of this new world of needed vaccine passports and there are lots of aspects of this that are still being sorted out for the first time.
“But it’s clearly, ultimately not in anyone’s interest, including the European Union, to create hurdles that don’t need to be there.”
The Indian foreign minister and chief executive of the SII said they have raised the issue with the EU.
On Monday SII CEO Adar Poonawalla tweeted: “I realise that a lot of Indians who have taken Covidshield are facing issues with travel to the EU, I assure everyone, I have taken this up at the highest levels and hope to resolve this matter soon, both with regulators and at a diplomatic level with countries.”
It is believed British travellers will face a similar issue in the United States where no version of the AstraZeneca shot has yet been licensed.
In America only shots approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were accepted.
However the EU’s failure to recognise Covishield has sparked anger in Asia and Africa, with some accusing it of a “colonial” mindset, pointing out the shot has been authorised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and that the SII is one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers. It is also feared the decision not to authorise the Indian made version could increase vaccine hesitancy in countries that use it.
What has the EU said?
The European Commission has left it to individual member states to decide whether to allow travellers who have received vaccines “that have been authorised at the national level or by the World Health Organization (WHO)”.
A spokesperson said: “Entry into the EU should be allowed to people fully vaccinated with one of the vaccines authorised in the EU.
“Member States are… not required to issue certificates for a vaccine that is not authorised on their territory.”
Relevant EU legislation states: “The authorisation via the centralised procedure provides the confidence that all member states can rely on the data on efficacy and safety and on the consistency of the batches being used for vaccination.”
There is nothing stopping people who have had the Indian-made jab from travelling as they will be able to enter a number of EU countries with proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours or travelling.
