“The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines,” said Ursula von der Leyen. “This will enable free movement and travel to the European Union.”
The Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine have all been approved by the European Medicines Agency, the European Union’s drugs regulator.
“All 27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by E.M.A.,” Ms. von der Leyen told the Times.
She did not provide an exact date on when the European Commission would officially recommend a switch in policy to open back up, saying it would depend on the “epidemiological situation,” highlighting that the burden of COVID-19 is improving in the U.S. and E.U. countries. While the policy change would encompass all of the E.U.’s member nations, some states may reserve the right to maintain certain restrictions, the Times reported.
U.S. and E.U. officials have been in talks for weeks on how the logistics of a vaccine certificate program would work to enable travel.
To read the full New York Times article, click here.
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