Vaccines

EU Eases Covid-19 Travel Restrictions for Non-EU Visitors, But Indian Students Face New Challenges

Strategic Insights

May 21, 2021 — 1 min read

As EU policymakers agreed to ease Covid-19 travel restrictions for non-EU visitors who are vaccinated, students planning to study in major destinations like Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain are facing new challenges due to the limited availability of approved vaccines in India. The European Commission has approved the AstraZeneca vaccine, but not Covaxin, leaving many students without options. The Maharashtra state government's suspension of vaccination for the 18-44 age group has made it even more difficult for students to get vaccinated in time for their academic courses.

Key Takeaways:

Only the AstraZeneca vaccine (Covishield) is approved by the European Commission among the two major vaccines administered in India.
The Maharashtra state government has suspended vaccination for the 18-44 age group, making it difficult for students to get vaccinated in time for their academic courses.
Students are being forced to opt for Covishield over Covaxin due to the limited availability of the approved vaccine.
The state government's priority should be to provide vaccination to students planning to study abroad.
The CoWIN portal requires students to wait for at least 14 days after their second dose before traveling abroad, making it challenging for students to get vaccinated in time.
The European policymakers have agreed to lift travel barriers among European countries through a digital certificate system providing information about Covid-19 vaccination, negative test, or recovery from the disease.

Statistics:

84-112 days: The recommended gap between the first and second dose of Covishield (Source: CoWIN portal)
14 days: The waiting period after the second dose before traveling abroad (Source: CoWIN portal)
1st week of September: The start date for academic courses for many Indian students
1st week of June: The target date for getting the first dose of Covishield to complete the vaccination process on time

Sources:

European Commission website
CoWIN portal
Indian National Press (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd.

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