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Indian-made AstraZeneca jab 'not recognised' by EU vaccine passport scheme

Government
Will Payne
2 July 2021

European holidays could be off limits to five million Britons who have had a version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to The Telegraph. 

Guests will still need to comply with specific vaccine and booster requirements imposed by airlines or authorities in the destination visited

The variant of the shot, produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), is called Covishield and is identifiable by the vaccine batch numbers: 4120Z001, 4120Z002 and 4120Z003.

It is not yet authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), meaning it does not qualify for the European Union’s (EU) vaccine passport scheme.

It is thought up to five million doses of the specific vaccine have been administered in the UK.

The hitch could allegedly leave "thousands" of Brits turned away at EU border crossings when the batch numbers on their vaccines are checked.