Saudi Arabia has barred foreigners who have received Chinese COVID-19 vaccines from entering the country.
Last week, the oil-rich Middle Eastern state issued an updated travel advisory, under which foreign passport holders are now required to be vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by either Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson in order to enter the country.
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The decision to exclude China’s Coronavirus vaccines including the widely used Sinovac and Sinopharm has left thousands of Saudi-bound workers and Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in a quandary.
Five Chinese COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in different countries around the world. Two vaccines have been developed by Sinopharm while one each by Sinovac, CanSinoBIO, and Anhui Zhifei Longcom. Recipients of these Chinese vaccines will not be allowed entry into Saudi Arabia.
Following last week’s announcement, Foreign Ministries of countries using Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, including Pakistan, contacted Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry and asked to include Chinese vaccines in its travel advisory.
Earlier this week, the European Union (EU) announced to only allow travelers who have been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the European Medicine Agency (EMA).
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The EMA has so far approved four Coronavirus vaccines. The EU-certified vaccines include the Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson of the US and AstraZeneca of the UK.
With the World Health Organization (WHO) granting Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to two Chinese COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinopharm and Sinovac, it is being expected that Saudi Arabia and the EU will revise their decisions and allow entry to recipients of these two Chinese vaccines.
