European 'green pass' likely only for EU authorised jabs

The EU's planned digital "green pass" showing the status of vaccinated people will probably only take into account jabs authorised by the bloc's medicines regulator, a top official said on Friday.

The European Medicines Agency has so far authorised four COVID vaccines - from BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson - so, unless this changes, the pass might not record a jab with Russia's Sputnik V, for example.

"What we would like to create is a digital certificate where you can have your negative PCR test or prove that you have antibodies or that you have been vaccinated by a vaccine that has been approved by EMA," the EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, told journalists.

The European Commission is to unveil its proposal for the green pass next Wednesday, with legislation to be sent to the European Parliament. 

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has said she hopes it would allow people "to move safely in the European Union or abroad - for work or tourism".

The EMA is currently reviewing data related to Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as well as ones from Novavax and Curevac for safety and efficacy to see whether they too might be authorised.

The EMA is not...