Serum Institute of India’s Covishield manufactured in collaboration with the AstraZeneca-Oxford may not eligible for the European Union’s ‘vaccine passport’ or ‘Green Pass’- an immunity document that would ease travel within and to the bloc.

Earlier, the European Union has said that member states can issue the certificates regardless of the type which type of Covid-19 vaccine. However, according to reports citing official rules, technical restrictions are still there which state that ‘Green Pass’ will be limited to “vaccines that have received EU-wide marketing authorization.”

As of now, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved only four vaccines which include Comirnaty (Pfizer/ BioNTech), Moderna, Vaxzervia (AstraZeneca-Oxford), Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). These vaccines can be used by the EU member states to issue the certificates.

Pertinently, Vaxzervia and Covishield are both the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines. It is only India-made Covishield that has not been recognized by the EMA yet whereas the Vaxzeveria of AstraZeneca has received the approval of the EU.

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Pune-based SII’s developed Covishield is India’s indigenous vaccine and the majority of the nation’s population have received its jab.

Concerned about the fact, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla on Monday has said that he has taken up the issues faced by the Indians who received the Covishield dose and might not be able to travel to European Union.

He however has hoped that deliberations would draw a positive outcome.

In a tweet, Poonawalla wrote, "I have taken this up at the highest levels and hope to resolve this matter soon...," he said.