UK to add Sinovac, Sinopharm jabs to list of approved vaccines

The UK will add China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm and India’s Covaxin vaccines to the country’s approved list of Covid-19 vaccines for inbound travel, the government announced on Monday.

“From 4am Monday, Nov 22, Covid-19 vaccines on the WHO (World Health Organization) EUL (emergency use listing) will be recognised and all under-18s coming to England will be treated as fully vaccinated at the border,” Anadolu Agency said quoting a government statement.

In the UK, passengers who have been fully vaccinated and have received their vaccine certificate from one of over 135 approved countries and territories are not required to take a pre-departure test, day eight test or self-isolate upon arrival.

Instead, passengers only need to pay for a lateral flow test to take before the end of their second day, post-arrival.

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the new announcement was a step forward for the travel industry, businesses and for family and friends seeking to reunite or go abroad.

“The red list and quarantine system remain vital in protecting our borders, and as we’ve said, we will not hesitate to take action by adding countries to the red list if necessary,” he added.