The States of Guernsey became aware of a potential issue for travellers to the EU who have received an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination from one of 3 batches identified as Covishield (batch numbers - 4120Z001, 4120Z002, and 4120Z003).
Anyone who has received a vaccination from these 3 batches of AstraZeneca vaccine should not be concerned over their level of COVID-19 protection. There is no concern regarding the quality of the vaccine.
The world is in the very early days of issuing and using vaccination-status documents, and there are some aspects of the process that only come to light for the first-time once distribution has started.
We understand that a number of EU countries have already confirmed that they will accept vaccination-status documents which include vaccines from the 3 batches identified. These include: Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Iceland and Switzerland.
The States of Guernsey is engaging with the UK Government to understand how this potential issue may affect people vaccinated in the Bailiwick. In the interim, anyone looking to travel should carefully check the requirements and criteria set by their intended destinations to ensure they can comply with regard to any immediate travel plans to Europe.
