The United Kingdom's approval for India's Covaxin and China's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines for travel into the country comes into effect on Monday, 22 November, in a move that will provide a massive relief to tourists and fully vaccinated foreign students.
With proof of full vaccination, according to a notice issued by the Department for Transport and Department of Health and Social Care on Monday, the three above-mentioned vaccines shall be added to "the list of approved vaccines for inbound travel."
All seven COVID-19 vaccines that have received emergency approval from the World Health Organization are now recognised by the UK government.
Last week, officials of the Government of India said that 110 countries have now recognised Covaxin and Covishield, including New Zealand and Australia, Hindustan Times reported.
The decision of the UK to approve the Chinese vaccines (that have vaccinated 80 percent of China's population) will allow thousands of Chinese students who have been vaccinated in their home country to attend universities in the UK.
The country has received a record number of undergraduate applications from Chinese nationals, according to a report released in October by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), a universities admission service provider.
(With inputs from NDTV and Hindustan Times.)