Indian students studying in UK will be given Covid-19 vaccine for free, confims UK Govt

The UK 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 UK 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,” he said.