Which batch of vaccines are not valid for travel and how to find out?
As England prepares to cast off its last round of social restrictions imposed on the public to battle the coronavirus - however questionably - the prospect of foreign holidays is once more becoming a real possibility for many, with more countries being added to the amber list and those who have had both vaccine jabs soon allowed to go abroad to amber destinations without having to quarantine. But complications are already beginning to arise. British travellers who have been administered with an India-made dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine are reportedly being barred from entering Malta because that version, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, has so far not been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Although the Covishield version of the Oxford-AZ jab is chemically identical to the original and not believed to be substandard in any way, its lack of EMA approval means it is not recognised by the EU. While 15 member states, including Spain and Germany, have said they will allow entry despite the technicality, the green-listed Mediterranean island is sticking rigidly to the rules, according to The Daily Telegraph, and other EU states could choose to follow its example. The brand of vaccine you were treated with is listed on the card you were given at your first appointment. If you received the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen jab, the problem does not affect you. If you have received the Oxford-AZ jab, theres a possibility that it might, given that an estimated five million doses of Covishield have been administered in the UK. In that case, you can check via the NHS app by clicking Get your NHS COVID Pass, which lists the precise batch number of the dose you received. Malta Tourism Authority guidance lists the Covishield batch numbers as 4120Z001, 4120Z002 and 4120Z003 so, if the information on your app corresponds with any of those three serial numbers, you could be denied entry. Precisely this happened to a couple from Manchester late last week, who were understandably upset when they were turned away at the airport and unable to visit their son in Malta as a result, blaming the prime minister for their predicament. When we took our vaccine - we had a vaccine - we were asked to take them. We took both doses. We didnt know what we were getting, Steve and Glenda Hardy told The Telegraph. We trusted the government on that. Boris Johnson said that there were no Indian vaccines issued in this country. Thats obviously a lie because its on our page.  When he was asked about the potential problem earlier this month, Mr Johnson was blithely dismissive, telling reporters: Im very confident that that will not prove to be a problem.  The Department of Health and Social Care has also previously assured holidaymakers that it was confident international travel will not be affected. Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning, transport secretary Grant Shapps said: It is not right and it shouldnt be happening. The medicines agency, the MHRA, have been very clear that it doesnt matter whether the AstraZeneca you have is made here or the Serum Institute in India, it is absolutely the same product, it provides exactly the same levels of protection from the virus. So we will certainly speak to our Maltese colleagues to point all this out. Obviously it is up to them what they do. But we will be making the scientific point in the strongest possible terms: there is no difference, we dont recognise any difference.  While it is hoped this particular problem can be resolved diplomatically, it is possible that which vaccine you receive could become more of an issue going forward as Covid variants mutate to become more resistant to inoculation and the picture becomes more complex. We had a taste of this back in April, when the EMA sparked a scare by concluding that the Oxford-AZ jab could cause unusual blood clots with low blood platelets in very rare cases, prompting some British citizens to request one of the alternatives. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist to the World Health Organisation, meanwhile warned at an online briefing this week against the experimental practice of mixing two different vaccines - for instance, following a Pfizer shot with a Moderna dose eight weeks later - calling it a dangerous trend and a data-free zone. Individuals should not decide for themselves, public health agencies can, based on available data, she elaborated in a tweet. Data from mix and match studies of different vaccines are awaited - immunogenicity and safety both need to be evaluated.