Some enquiries have been received from people concerned that certain batches of the Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine, known as Covishield, were not being approved by the EU for travel.

All batches of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine used in the UK are equally safe and effective. It is important to note that all doses used in the UK have been subject to rigorous safety and quality checks, including individual batch testing and physical site inspections, by the UK medicine’s regulator, the MHRA.

The Government says that no Covishield vaccines have been administered in the UK and that all AstraZeneca vaccines given in the UK appear on the NHS COVID Pass as Vaxzevria.

The NHS COVID Pass is the digital version of individuals’ proof of COVID-19 vaccine status, which has been available for international travel since May. The European Medicines Agency has authorised this vaccine and the Government is confident that travel will not be affected.

Information for patients about how to get an online or paper version of the NHS COVID Pass is on the NHS website.

The EU uses a Digital Covid-19 Certificate, which is currently for EU citizens only, or third country nationals legally staying or resident in the EU.