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Agence France-Presse

Europe is gradually reopening to vaccinated travellers as coronavirus restrictions ease, but in some African nations such as Morocco recipients of jabs not recognised by the EU are facing disappointment.
“It seems very much as if a vaccine has become a visa,” said Moroccan columnist Karim Boukhari.
“I have my visa, but my vaccine is Chinese. It’s as if I don’t have a visa.”
The European Union currently recommends that member states only allow people from a small number of non-EU countries to visit on non-essential trips.
The only African country on that list is Rwanda.
To visit France for example, would-be travellers from Morocco must first prove they need to reach the EU for essential reasons, such as visiting a sick relative.
“Visa-holders are not automatically authorised to travel to France and must respect the entry rules … as regards vaccinations,” warned the French embassy in Morocco in a tweet this week.
Travellers to Europe must prove they are fully inoculated with one of the four anti-Covid-19 jabs so far approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) – the AstraZeneca, Johnson&Johnson, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.


But the Chinese vaccines Sinovac and Sinopharm have been the most widely used on the African continent to date.
And while Morocco says it has fully vaccinated some 7 million people, most of those have received the Sinopharm jab.
That means that for the purposes of travel to France, they are considered unvaccinated.
“For those that are vaccinated, there are two categories – those vaccinated with the AstraZeneca and the others. The latter are not considered to be vaccinated outside of the country,” said the weekly Maroc Hebdo.
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An association for French expatriates in Morocco wrote in a recent open letter to the French foreign ministry: “Our compatriots are shocked that France does not recognise the Sinopharm vaccine.”
Semi-official Moroccan news website 360 slammed the French policy as “unjust”.
“The Chinese vaccine has proven itself effective. The proof is in the huge drop in the number of deaths in all the countries that opted for Sinopharm,” Dr Said Atif, a member of the country’s vaccination committee, told the website.
Despite the Chinese firm’s claim in January that its vaccine was 79 per cent effective against Covid-19, it has not yet been recognised by the EMA.
It is a problem that also affects countries such as Egypt and Gabon, where millions have been vaccinated with the Chinese Sinopharm or Sinovac jabs, or Russia’s Sputnik vaccine.


Adding to the difficulties, vaccine-based travel measures do not apply uniformly across the EU.
The European Council last month recommended that member states begin waiving coronavirus-related travel restrictions for people vaccinated with EMA-approved jabs.
Bloc members Cyprus and Spain recognise travellers as vaccinated if they have had the full round of Sinopharm or Sputnik jabs, as both have been authorised by the World Health Organization.
Morocco is working to persuade Paris to recognise any vaccine certified by the WHO, according to an official familiar with the discussions. Russia’s Sputnik V and the Chinese Sinovac vaccines are currently under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Britain takes swipe at countries using vaccine diplomacy to secure influence
African countries have struggled in the global race to vaccinate, with wealthier nations accused of bulk-buying excess doses directly from manufacturers. In response, many governments on the continent have turned to China.
Morocco signed a deal as early as August last year to take part in clinical tests of the vaccine from Sinopharm, which agreed to provide the kingdom with 10 million doses before the end of the year if results were successful.
That enabled it to vaccinate nine million of its 36 million population in four months – seven million of them receiving the full two doses.


Morocco has pitched getting jabbed as a patriotic act, as well as making it a condition for leaving the country.
It has also launched its own domestic vaccine pass, exempting recipients of two full doses from coronavirus restrictions including the nighttime curfew and limits on travel.
But the vaccination campaign has yet to open the door to Europe.
Emer Cooke, head of the EMA, said the agency had held “initial talks” over certifying the Sinopharm vaccine, which has not yet presented its dossier to the Amsterdam-based body.
“Honestly I don’t know why they haven’t gone anywhere so far,” she said.
“What I would say is that we are ready to receive any vaccine that meets the European criteria for safety, quality and efficacy, irrespective of where it is manufactured, and we’re here to evaluate those.”


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Chinese coronavirus vaccines

Coronavirus: Chinese jab becomes an added hurdle for some African visitors to the European Union

African countries have struggled in the global race to vaccinate and many governments on the continent turned to China to supply vaccines. Photo: EPA-EFE

Will slow approval of BioNTech and other foreign vaccines block China from reopening its borders?

Illustration: Brian Wang

China has set a target of vaccinating 40 per cent of its 1.4 billion population by the end of June. Photo: DPA

Coronavirus: can Japan counter China’s vaccine diplomacy with Southeast Asian donations?

Vials of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine donated by Japan are seen at a vaccination centre in Taipei earlier this month. Vietnam is set to receive 1 million doses on Wednesday. Photo: Bloomberg

Airport workers in Japan load Covid-19 vaccines into a plane bound for Taiwan earlier this month. Vietnam is set to receive 1 million doses on Wednesday. Photo: Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan/Handout via Reuters 

Japan has struck deals for about 120 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but has not yet recommended that it be administered in the country. Photo: Reuters

Taiwan Covid-19 vaccines may be too late for US emergency approval

Taiwan is expected to approve two locally-developed Covid-19 vaccines in the next few months. Photo: AP

Top EMA official suggests ditching AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine where others are available

Vials of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine. Many countries have limited the use of the shot to younger people. Photo: AFP

China coronavirus: Beijing vaccinates over 70 per cent of population in lead-up to Winter Olympics

Beijing has administered 33.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics in Februrary. Photo: Xinhua

News

China

Diplomacy

Science


Travellers to Europe must prove they’re fully inoculated with one of four EMA-approved jabs but no Chinese vaccine is on the list yet
Morocco is working to persuade Paris to recognise any vaccine certified by the WHO



Travellers to Europe must prove they’re fully inoculated with one of four EMA-approved jabs but no Chinese vaccine is on the list yet.


Coronavirus Africa

Coronavirus vaccine

Coronavirus pandemic

World Health Organization (WHO)