Astra jabs - Have we been given the Indian-made version? (1 Viewer)

[sciac2001]

We are booked on the Santander ferry late October having had both Astra jabs.

It appears that around 1 million of these jabs came from an Indian manufacturer/s and that the EU has not approved this version. If it turns out that we were given this version - we are waiting for confirmation - we may be precluded from sailing out.

I understand that moves are ongoing to obtain approval but if this is unsuccessful, people who have received these will be well and truly scuppered as I doubt that a second bout of (UK manufactured jabs) would be allowed so soon after the first.

We have paid our deposits for the ferry and if we are caught up in this, fear losing it.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Have a look at the batch numbers on your cards

However, up to five million doses of the version of the AZ jab in question have been administered in the UK and are identifiable by the vaccine batch numbers (4120Z001, 4120Z002, 4120Z003) included on recipients’ vaccine cards and in the Covid travel pass available via the NHS app, the Telegraph said.

 

[sciac2001]

Waiting on my Pass to arrive which will clarify.

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[orridge]

Spain has already agreed to accept those Vaccines.

Covishield: Seven EU countries approve India's Covid vaccines

Covishield is eligible for travel to Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland and Spain.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Caggsie1]

Looking at mine one jab is one of those numbers the other not. Where does that leave me then. Hubby is the same.

Not that we’re planning on leaving U.K.

 

[Puddleduck]

And in Scotland we didn't get cards with batch numbers.

Not that we have anything planned how about booked!

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[sallylillian]

What's annoying, I bet if AZ said in January here you are VDL, 50 million jabs from India they would have taken them!!!

 

[Potty]

And in Scotland we didn't get cards with batch numbers.

Not that we have anything planned how about booked!

Neither can we get our vaccine records via Patient Access or the NHS app. We can apply for a letter. Has anyone sent for this? If so, does it give type and batch nos?

 

[slowdriver]

It is a bureaucratic problem not a clinical one. The Indian Serum Institute, a commercial company, manufactures vaccines under licence. According to Wikipedia as of 2020, the company is the world's largest vaccine producer by number of doses produced,[14] manufacturing around 1.5 billion doses of vaccines each year.[15] The products developed include tuberculosis vaccine Tubervac (BCG), Poliovac for poliomyelitis, and other vaccinations for the childhood vaccination schedule.

Serum Institute of India - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Astra Zeneca licenced them to produce Covid 19 100 million doses of the vaccine for India and other low and middle-income countries, later increased to 1 billion doses by the end of 2021.It is estimated to be priced at around $3 per dose.
In March 2021, an agreement was reached to supply some doses to the UK. However delivery was delayed.

Covid vaccine: UK supply hit by India delivery delay

It is understood a shipment of five million AstraZeneca doses to the UK has been held up by four weeks.

www.bbc.co.uk

The decision of which vaccines any EU country certifies is up to each individual country. Hungary for instance certifies the Russian Sputnik vaccine. Most others do not. All the countries of the the EUcertified individually the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in the UK and the EU. That vaccine is produced under the brand name Vaxzevria.
The Serum Institutes re-brands the AstraZeneca vaccine as Covishield for the low and middle-income countries it was originally intended for.
Because the Uk wanted more vaccines to be available in March than the UK and EU plants could supply, it asked the Serum Institute to supply the shortfall, which they did, albeit with delays

So the base problem is that Vaxzeria was certified by the EU as requested, but Covishield was not because it had not been asked to certify it since it was primarily intended for low and middle income countries which excludes all of the EU.
Now the individual countries of the EU have been asked to authorise Covishield by the Serum Institute seven have done so and as a result Covishield is now recognised for travel to Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland and Spain. Iceland and Switzerland too have made the jab eligible for travel to the countries. Separately, Estonia has confirmed that it will recognise all the vaccines authorised by India for incoming travellers, ...

Covishield: Seven EU countries approve India's Covid vaccines

Covishield is eligible for travel to Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland and Spain.

www.bbc.co.uk

So essentially it is a bureaucratic rather than a clinical problem that will resolve itself as the remaining individual nations of the EU chose (or do not chose) to certify the Covishield branded version of the Astra Zeneca vaccine. The obvious country where certification would help is France, I would expect them to do so shortly, given that Germany has.

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[sciac2001]

Neither can we get our vaccine records via Patient Access or the NHS app. We can apply for a letter. Has anyone sent for this? If so, does it give type and batch nos?

Ive applied today. Will let you know what info it gives when/if (lol) it comes.

 

[Jim]

What's annoying, I bet if AZ said in January here you are VDL, 50 million jabs from India they would have taken them!!!

She would have, but it would have taken them three months to agree to say yes please

 

[Neil S]

.

Here's a copy of the Scottish version

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[Brendan + Kath]

We got the English written confirmation today and it states both the manufacturer and batch number of the vaccinr

 

[sciac2001]

We got the English written confirmation today and it states both the manufacturer and batch number of the vaccinr

Does it also have the name of the version?
Vaxzevria is the UK and I believe that Covishield is the Indian.

 

[slowdriver]

Does it also have the name of the version?
Vaxzevria is the UK and I believe that Covishield is the Indian.

Those brand names are correct. However the UK Government via the NHS decided to describe the Covishield brand as Vaxzevria within the NHS app and on the NHS website. Not unreasonable given its the same product underneath and in the UK it is marketed as Vaxzevria.
However both the website and the app have the batch numbers which are definitive in determining whether it is the Covishield brand or not. I doubt it will make any odds shortly as Astra Zeneca and Sinopahrm, the manufacturer of the Astra Zeneca vaccine in India (ie Covishield) are seeking to resolve what is essentially a market segmentation and registration issue with the EU currently. See my previous post.
FYI the batch numbers are
4120Z001, 4120Z002 or 4120Z003.

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