The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine being rolled out across the UK is key to the fight against the pandemic
The U.K. government has confirmed that Indian students pursuing their higher studies in the UK will be able to access the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that is being rolled out across the country. The UK government expressed its commitment to support international students during COVID-19, with universities’ minister Michelle Donelan writing an open letter to students thanking them for their patience at provisions introduced to tackle the spread of the virus. She also confirmed that the students will not be charged to apply for testing or treatment for COVID-19.
The news is particularly welcome as the UK along with many other countries around the world has confirmed the emergence of new strains of the virus. While the Indian students comply with health measures, the UK has confirmed that it has ordered 40 million doses of this vaccine overall – enough to immunise up to a third of the population – with approval of the Oxford vaccine expected within days.
The U.K. government has now secured early access to over 357 million vaccine doses through several vaccine developers. This will enable international students to access these vaccinations, just as they can access NHS healthcare. This provision includes older international students or those with underlying medical conditions who will fall into priority categories.
Speaking about the vaccine announcement, James Pitman, UK and EU Managing Director at Study Group said, “We are anticipating some positivity for the forthcoming academic year and would like to take this opportunity to thank our students for showing patience throughout the global pandemic. This vaccine, combined with effective treatments, will be significant in making COVID-19 a manageable disease, thereby allowing us to return to normality soon, so that, going-forward, we can welcome a greater number of Indian students to the UK.”
The UK remains a top choice for international students, with thousands of ambitious students choosing to pursue their qualification in one of the many world-class UK universities. According to 2018/2019 statistics from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), there are currently 485,645 international students pursuing their degree in the UK. In the wake of the global pandemic and locked international borders, UK universities and their International Study Centres have been offering blended learning to students this year, which is a mix of face-to-face and virtual teacher-led learning.
Sector representatives expect this to continue. Indeed the recent announcement of mutual recognition of degrees between India and the U.K. promise a substantial increase in the number of Indian students choosing the U.K. for degree level study. According to Sanam Arora, Chair of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union, “Our assessment is that the number of Indian students can double, if not triple, in the near future and movement on the UK Masters degree is a very positive one which will add to that momentum.”
With access to Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, Indian students can now be reassured and expect to return on-campus earlier by next year.
