Soon after the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that Covaxin had gotten the green light and now is part of its Emergency Use Listing, the Swiss authorities revealed that the vaccine would be recognised as valid proof of immunity for travel.

Accordingly, this means that all those who have completed their vaccination process with Covaxin are now eligible to enter Switzerland without having to undergo testing or quarantine requirements, SchengenVisaInfo reports.

“People who have been vaccinated with two different vaccines are considered to be fully vaccinated if the vaccines used have been approved by the authorities in Switzerland and the EU (EMA) or are on the WHO emergency use list and if they were administered in accordance with the regulations or recommendations of the state in which the vaccination took place,” the statement of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) reads.

The vaccination document that indicates that the holder has been fully immunised against the virus with Covaxin or any other vaccine accepted in Switzerland must be documented in the form of a recognised certificate and include the following information on the holder:

• Name and last name
• Date of birth
• Name of the administered vaccine
• Date(s) when the dose(s) were administered
• Issuing body

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According to a press release issued by WHO, Covaxin was assessed under a procedure that was based on the review of data on efficacy, quality, safety, risk management plan, and programmatic suitability. The vaccine is recommended in two doses for all age groups 18 and above and is exceptionally suitable to countries with low and middle incomes due to its simple storage requirements.

“This emergency use listing expands the availability of vaccines, the most effective medical tools we have to end the pandemic,” WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, Dr Mariângela Simão, said, commenting on the approval of Covaxin.

Except for the newly recognised vaccines, Switzerland already recognises all the other certificates that prove that the holder has been fully immunised with one of the other seven accepted vaccines – Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty), Moderna (Spikevax), AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), Covishield (Serum Institute of India), Sinopharm (BIBP), Sinovac (CoronaVac).

Previously, Switzerland announced that the country would no longer recognise COVID-19 vaccination certificates issued by third countries. Therefore, travellers reaching Switzerland from non-EU/Schengen Area countries need to apply for a Swiss COVID-19 Pass.

In order to avoid any pre-travel inconvenience, it is highly recommended that all those who plan to travel to Switzerland or any other country amid the COVID-19 check the validity of their vaccine. This can be done by using VisaGuide.World’s vaccine-checker tool, which allows travellers worldwide to verify if their vaccine is accepted by their destination country.