In the absence of clear global standards for recognizing COVID-19 vaccine certificates, depending on the vaccination they have received, fully vaccinated travelers continue to be ineligible for vaccine-related exemptions and may not meet domestic vaccine-related requirements. Vaccine-related exemptions only extend to travelers if the health authority of their destination country recognizes their vaccine certificate as valid.
With a valid vaccine certificate, travelers may be exempt from entry bans, obtaining a negative COVID-19 test before departure, COVID-19 testing on arrival, or may face shortened or no quarantine periods. Countries may also require residents to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter businesses, public facilities such as hotels and restaurants, and academic institutions.
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) maintains a list of COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use, the Emergency Use Listing (EUL), countries adopt this recommendation at their own discretion. Each country’s health authority determines which vaccines will be approved for use and whether other COVID-19 vaccines will be recognized for traveling foreign nationals. Challenges arise when travelers carry vaccine certificates not recognized by their destination’s health authority.
In March 2021, Chinese officials released statements to various embassies detailing exemptions to some entry requirements for specific classes of travelers, but only to those who have received Chinese-made vaccines.
In the United States, Princeton University required all students enrolled in the 2021-2022 year to upload their vaccine certificates as proof of vaccination. Before April 2021, the University was only accepting COVID-19 vaccines that had FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) , which prompted several international students who had received Chinese-made vaccines to get vaccinated again, with EUA vaccines.
Princeton University amended their requirements in April 2021 to include EUL vaccines. In June 2021, organizers of Springsteen on Broadway stipulated that all individuals attending a concert must present proof of having received an EUA vaccine. This directive excluded Canadian residents and international travelers who had received the Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) vaccine. The organizers later amended the requirements to include EUL vaccines.
Most recently in July 2021, airline staff prevented a UK couple from boarding a flight to Malta, as the couple received the CoviShield (AstraZeneca) vaccine, rather than the Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) vaccine – the only AstraZeneca vaccine authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Travelers in nations that received CoviShield as part of the COVAX initiative have reported similar incidents where they have been denied boarding or entry into EU countries that only recognized EMA-approved vaccines.
As of August 2021, the EMA has only approved Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech), Spikevax (Moderna), Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), and Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) for use. Although each EU member state is responsible for adopting the EMA recommendation, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland recognize EUL vaccines. Other EU countries, including France and Italy, only recognize EMA-approved vaccines.
Austria will grant entry for travelers who have been vaccinated with EUL vaccines such as CoviShield (AstraZeneca), CoronaVac (Sinovac), and Sinopharm (BIBP), but these travelers may not be able to access tourist facilities, such as hotels and restaurants, with their vaccine certificate. To facilitate the resumption of travel with EU nations, Turkish health authorities have begun offering Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to Turkish residents who have already received SinoVac vaccines.
Travelers wishing to take advantage of vaccine-related travel exemptions are advised to check if their vaccine is accepted for entry into their destination country or recognized for exemptions to domestic movement restrictions.
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