Vaccine: Expert discusses getting second jab before 12 weeks
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Up to five million British people will be unable to travel into Europe this summer after being given a batch of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine that was made in India. These particular shots aren’t yet authorised by the European Medicines Agency, meaning people who have been administered it could be turned away at EU border crossings. Not sure which AstraZeneca vaccine you were given? Here’s how to find out.
The EU’s passport scheme does not recognise batches of AstraZeneca that were made in India and given out in the UK.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate will allow people to travel safely across Europe by acting as a Covid passport.
The scheme allows Brits to prove they’re fully vaccinated, have passed a pre-departure test or that they have already recovered from Covid in the last 180 days and has already been launched this week.
Millions of people were administered this batch and could be turned away at EU border crossings when the batch number of their vaccines is checked.
This news comes as millions of Brits prepare to go abroad this summer, particularly after July 19 when the Covid restrictions might finally be removed.
However, if you’ve had a jab from the batch of AstraZeneca made in India, you might not be able to get into Europe.
This version of AstraZeneca hasn’t been approved in Europe yet, but up to five million doses of it have been administered in the UK and this will be identifiable on the recipients’ vaccine cards and Covid travel pass on the NHS app.
The Indian manufactured AstraZeneca shot has been given out generously in Asia and Africa as well as the UK, but only vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency are accepted in the EU Digital Covid Certificate scheme.
Despite the uproar about travel restrictions linked to the jab, there is no indication that the Indian manufactured dose is dangerous or substandard.
The only reason why it isn’t accepted by the EMA is to do with the Indian manufacturers failing to seek a license for the product in Europe.
Apparently, this is because the Serum Institute of India is mainly supplying their doses to low and middle-income countries.
How to check where your AZ jab was made
All doses of AstraZeneca in the UK will appear under the same name – Vaxzevria – in medical records and on the NHS app.
The only way to tell if your jab was made in India is by checking the batch number, which will be included in the NHS Covid pass letter.
The pass letter is a letter showing your Covid-19 vaccination status and is meant to be used for travelling abroad or going to events where you need proof that you’ve had your vaccination.
You can get your pass letter if you’ve had two doses of the vaccine in England and you’re 16 or over.
You’ll need to wait two weeks after having your second dose to get a letter.
The application for a pass letter is on the NHS website here Get your NHS COVID Pass letter or you can download a digital version on the NHS App o the online Covid Pass service, but these options won’t be any quicker.
Once you’ve got your pass letter and know your batch number, you can safely compare it to the batch numbers of the Indian AstraZeneca shots.
An amendment made to the agreement between AstraZeneca and the UK regulator (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority) lists three batch numbers that were “manufactured by Serum Institute India” that were “assessed and are treated as Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca”.
They are: 4120Z001, 4120Z002, 4120Z003
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