New Delhi: Nine European countries have cleared Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, amid a row over vaccines accepted for a green pass allowing free travel in the region.

The nine European countries are Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Estonia and Switzerland accepted for a green pass allowing free travel in the region.

The European Medicines Agency has approved only four vaccines so far Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty, US pharma giant Moderna’s Covid – 19 vaccines, the AstraZeneca shot manufactured and sold in Europe as Vaxzervria, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen.

Only those who have been given these shots are granted vaccination passports and allowed to travel hassle-free amid the pandemic. The EU does, however, also say member states may decide to extend the certificate also to EU travellers that received another vaccine.

Covishield, manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India in partnership with the Oxford University and AstraZeneca is not on the list. Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is also not on the EMA list. Under these rules, Indians vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin may be subject to quarantine if they travel to the EU nations, unless these vaccines are cleared by the respective countries.

Serum Institute’s CEO Adar Poonawalla said the Serum Institute is hoping the European drug regulators will approve Covishield in a few weeks. According to the reports the Serum Institute has applied through AstraZeneca, Poonawalla said at the India Global Forum. He said it was just a matter of time since the vaccine was approved by the WHO and the UK’s health care regulator.