The United Kingdom
(UK) has come up with a new travel advisory which has stirred up a controversy
in India. According to UK’s new advisory, people from India and a few other
countries will be considered “unvaccinated” even if they have been administered
two doses of AstraZeneca’s Covishield (called Vaxzervaria globally).

UK’s move has come
under severe criticism from Indians. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh called UK’s travel rules “racist”. “Absolutely bizarre considering Covishield was originally developed in the UK and The Serum Institute, Pune has supplied to that country too! This smacks of racism.” 

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Incensed at the new rule Congress MP Shashi
Tharoor said that if was “offensive to ask fully vaccinated Indians to
quarantine”.  Tharoor said he had cancelled
multiple engagements because of UK’s rules including the Cambridge Union debate
and the book launch.

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UK’s new rules
will come into force from October 4. Britain, which was following a traffic
light model for pandemic-related restrictions, has decided to scrap its amber
list. Consequently, India, which is on the amber list and has not been moved to
the green list, will have to follow the strictest COVID norms. These include
quarantining in the UK upon arrival.

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From October 4, people
travelling to the UK without being vaccinated under approved programmes in the
UK (and UK overseas), Europe or US, will have to self-quarantine for 10 days
and undergo two COVID-19 tests. The new system is expected to stay in place for
at least a year, according to PTI. The next review of the system will be
scheduled for early 2022.

UK’s advisory will
be of particular concern for India, where Covishield is the most widely used
vaccine. Its non-recognition by UK, which is using the same drug under a different
name, is bound to affect travel plans of students, businesspeople, tourists and
others vaccinated in India. Covishield has already received emergency-use
approval status from the World Health Organization.