.jpg )
The Serum Institute of India (SII) is approaching the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for approval to its Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield, for the European Union’s Green Pass, a document that will ease travel within and to the bloc, people aware of the matter said on Monday
EMA currently recognises only four Covid-19 vaccines that have received EU-wide marketing authorisation so far, reports Hindustan Times.
READ: Serum gets govt nod to produce Sputnik vaccine in India
Indian officials said it was “perplexing” that the list includes Vaxzevria, the AstraZeneca vaccine produced and marketed in the UK and other sites around Europe, but not Covishield, the version manufactured and distributed in India, though they are similar if not identical.
The issue of Covishield’s approval by EMA is also expected to be taken up by the Indian side with European Union (EU) officials on the margins of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Italy on June 29, said people familiar with developments, even as SII’s CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Monday that he has taken up the matter at the highest level to ensure Indians don’t face any travel restrictions.