Indians Eager To Travel To UK For Covid Vaccine

With news of Pfizer and German biotechnology partner BioNTech’s Covid vaccine getting approval from Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and that its administration would begin from right next week, a few travel agents said that they had started receiving enquiries from Indians who want to travel to the UK as soon as possible to get the it administered. One travel agent is planning to launch a three-night package for the Indians who want to get the benefit of the mass vaccination drive in the UK.

On Wednesday, the UK became the first country to approve Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine after a “rigorous” analysis by its independent MHRA. A Mumbai-based travel agent told a news agency that some people enquired them on “how and when and if” they can travel to the UK to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

“I have told them it is too early to say (whether Indians can get vaccine in UK). Anyway, the first in line to the get the vaccine would be the elderly and health workers in the UK who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus.”

Nishant Pitti, co-founder and CEO, EaseMyTrip.com said while this is an offbeat season for travel to London, after Wednesday’s announcement about the Pfizer vaccine he has already received queries from some Indians who have got UK visas and can afford to go to London. He said his company was waiting for clarity from the UK government on whether there would be compulsory quarantine requirements for travellers who want to get vaccinated and whether Indian passport holders are eligible for vaccination there or not.

However, he said his company is planning to launch a three-night package exclusively for those interested in travelling to the UK for vaccination. “We are dealing with an airline to offer fixed price seats. We already have deals with London hotels. And we are planning to do some deal with a hospital over there so that we can generate a package for that,” he explained.

In a recent rule by the UK government, it said that from December 15, every international arrival in the country would have to observe self isolation for five days and then get the RT-PCR test done on the sixth day. The passenger can leave isolation on the sixth day only if found Covid negative in the test.