Coronavirus: those inoculated with Chinese, Russian vaccines could face travel inequality
- The US and Western Europe do not recognise Chinese-made vaccines, and Iceland also doesn’t permit entry to those with Russian jabs
- Millions worldwide can’t choose which shots they receive, and countries being selective about which shots are recognised leaves them with limited travel options
Of the two vaccine options available in the city – one from China’s Sinovac Biotech and another developed by Pfizer and BioNTech SE – Cheung plans to sign up for Sinovac for easier movement in and out of the mainland. Meanwhile, her British husband will go for the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, she says to boost his chances of visiting family in the UK.
“For people who need to work in or return to mainland, the Chinese vaccine is the only option for them,” Cheung said. “Westerners will only choose the vaccine recognised by their home country.”
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After ramping up vaccination drive with incentives, China administers 200 million Covid-19 shots
As inoculation efforts ramp up around the world, a patchwork of approvals across countries and regions is laying the groundwork for a global vaccine bifurcation, where the shot you get could determine which countries you can enter and work in.
Europe may allow Americans vaccinated with shots approved by their drug agency to enter over the summer, the European Commission’s president suggested in a New York Times interview on Sunday.