Covishield vaccine accepted for travel to Dubai for UAE residents returning from India, authorities say

The shot is an Indian-produced version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

The UAE will next review flights between the country and India in early July.

People workout at a gym in Mumbai, as India's financial hub.

Commuters wait to board the metro at a station on June 7, 2021.

A man commutes on a train after the services were allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity in New Delhi. AFP

Shopkeepers wait to open their stores at a market area after authorities eased lockdown restrictions in New Delhi.

A pedestrian walks past a mural representing awareness measures against Covid-19 in Navi Mumbai.

A shopkeeper paints a social distancing mark outside his shop after shops were allowed to reopen with restrictions in New Delhi.

A shopkeeper offers prayers after he reopened his store in Mumbai.

A shopkeeper cleans up after shops were allowed to reopen in New Delhi.

Workers carry goods at a market area in New Delhi.

The Covishield vaccine is accepted for travel to Dubai, health officials said.

UAE residents stranded in India are rushing to book tickets to return to the emirate after authorities said flights would resume from June 23.

But only passengers who hold a valid residency visa and have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine are allowed to travel to the emirate.

That led to some uncertainty over whether Covishield, an Indian-produced version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, would be accepted.

The Sinopharm, Pfizer-​BioNTech, Sputnik V and Oxford-AstraZeneca shots have been approved for use by the UAE.

The Dubai Health Authority has replied to several users on Twitter to confirm that Covishield will be accepted.

"Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and Covishield are the same vaccine," the authority said.

Covishield is manufactured under licence by the Serum Institute of India.

Production of the vaccine began after the institute received a 1-millilitre vial from the University of Oxford containing the cellular material for the vaccine in May last year.

Within a short time, before clinical trials were even completed, the institute was making about 5,000 doses a minute.

In January, regulators in India approved the vaccine for emergency use.

The UAE suspended flights for most travellers from India on April 25 as Covid-19 cases soared in South Asia.

On Saturday, Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management announced updated guidelines that opened up travel from India to the emirate with strict safety measures in place.