Travel agents have started getting enquiries from Indians who want to fly to the United Kingdom at once to get the Covid-19 vaccine by Pfizer, which was approved by the British authorities on Wednesday.
One travel agent is even planning to launch a three-night package for interested people, who want to get the benefit of the mass vaccination drive in the UK, which may begin next week.
The UK on Wednesday became the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 after "rigorous" analysis by its independent regulator Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
A Mumbai-based agent told PTI that some people have raised questions about “how and when and if” they can travel to the country to get the vaccine.
“I have told them it is too early to say (whether Indians can get a vaccine in the UK). Anyway, the first in line to get the vaccine would be the elderly and health workers in the UK who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus,” the agent added.
Nishant Pitti, Co-founder and CEO, EaseMyTrip.com said even though it was not the season to travel to London, after Wednesday’s announcement, he has received several queries from Indians who have got UK visas and can afford to fly there.
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.
Pitti added that the company was planning to launch a three-night package for people who want to go to the UK to get vaccinated.
“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 deals with a hospital over there so that we can generate a package for that,” he said.
The recent UK government rules state that from December 15, every international arrival in the UK would have to remain in 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 if found COVID-negative in the test.
