African Union Commission and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have voiced concerns around the European Union ‘Green Pass’ which does not recognize Covishield, the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

The African countries have received the Covishield jab from WHO-led Covax. The EU move is thus likely to elicit a worldwide response as many countries like India, Russia, China, low and medium-income countries (LMICs) have used vaccines that do not have European Medical Agency’s authorization.

“The African Union and Africa CDC, therefore, urge the EU Commission to consider increasing mandatory access to those vaccines deemed suitable for global rollout through the EU-supported COVAX Facility,” they said.

“The availability of such a Certificate, with its potential to significantly facilitate free safe movement across all EU Member States and certain associated countries, is a significant step forward. However, the current applicability guidelines put at risk the equitable treatment of persons having received their vaccines in countries profiting from the EU-supported COVAX Facility, including the majority of the African Union (AU) the Member States,” a statement by the AUC and Africa CDC read.