African Union urges EU to expand vax list to include WHO-Covax vaccines

Now the African Union Commission and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has voiced concerns around the European Union ‘Green Pass’ which does not recognise Covishield, the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

The African countries have received the Covishield jab from WHO-led Covax. The EU move is thus likely to elicit world-wide response as many countries like India, Russia, China, low and medium income countries (LMICs) have used vaccines that do not have European Medical Agency’s authorisation.

“The African Union and Africa CDC, therefore, urge the EU Commission to consider increasing mandatory access to those vaccines deemed suitable for global rollout through the EU-supported COVAX Facility,” they said.

“The availability of such a Certificate, with its potential to significantly facilitate free safe movement across all EU Member States and certain associated countries, is a significant step forward. However, the current applicability guidelines put at risk the equitable treatment of persons having received their vaccines in countries profiting from the EU-supported COVAX Facility, including the majority of the African Union (AU) Member States,” a statement by the AUC and Africa CDC read.

So far, the ‘Green Pass’ applies only to vaccines that have received EU-wide marketing authorisation.

“Thus, while the AstraZeneca vaccine (ChAdOx1_nCoV-19) produced and authorized in Europe (Vaxzervria) is included, the same formation of the vaccine (Covishield) produced under license by the Serum Institute of India (SII), is excluded. Under such regulations, persons who received Covishield, despite being able to demonstrate proof of vaccination, would continue to be subject to public health restrictions, including limitations of movement and testing requirements, with considerable administrative and financial implications,” the Africa CDC and AUC said.

“Furthermore, given that the expressed goal for the Serum Institute of India production is to serve India and lower-income countries, the SII may not apply for EU-wide market authorisation, meaning that the inequalities in access to “Green Passes” created by this approach would persist indefinitely,” it added.

The Covidshield vaccine, alongside the versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (Republic of Korea), was one of the first available candidates considered safe and efficacious through the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) process.

Both candidates received approval as early as 15 February 2021.

Amidst reports that people who have taken the Serum Institute of India (SII) manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine Covishield will face challenges in travelling to Europe, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Monday that he has taken it up at the ‘highest levels’.

In a tweet from his official handle, Poonawalla said, “I realise that a lot of Indians who have taken Covishield 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.”

He says that he hopes to resolve the issue soon.