Following United Kingdom’s approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, a new wave of travel trend seems to have surfaced among Indians: shot trips. Here’s all that we know about it. By Bayar Jain
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Following successful trials, global pharmaceutical company Pfizer received approval from the United Kingdom government to go ahead with the production of the much-awaited COVID-19 vaccine earlier this week. Catching a whiff of this positive development, Indian travellers have started to make enquiries about flying to the European nation to get vaccinated, state reports by The Hindu.
Largely confined to the elite section of the society—particularly those aged between 55 to 60—the report notes that people enquiring for such ‘shot trips’ were ready to pay a huge price to fly down for the vaccine, often figuring in lakhs. These travellers, the story reports, are willing to travel as and when the vaccine is dubbed completely safe and secure.
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Jumping onto this bandwagon and upsurging travel trend are travel agents too, some of whom have started devising special packages for such customers. As per a report by The Hindustan Times, a travel agent has planned to launch a three-night package for Indians wishing to get vaccinated in the UK. In the same report, another agent has claimed to receive queries on the ‘how’s’ and ‘when’s’ of the possible ‘shot trips’.
Notably, The Guardian reports that the UK government has decided that elderly residents would get priority for the doses as they are at a higher risk of exposure and age-related complications. United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) members are also going to be the firsts in line. Clarity on when the vaccine could reach India still remains a mystery. As per reports by NDTV, rolling out this COVID-19 vaccine in India is only possible post clinical trials here—a step that has not yet been undertaken by Pfizer, or its partner companies.
Related: This Mumbai-Based Travel Firm Has Come Up With A COVID Vaccine Tourism Package
Bayar Jain
Senior Content Manager
Equipped with a degree in Sociology (Honours) from the University of Delhi, and a post graduate diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, Bayar enjoys sharing stories of people, places, and different cultures. When not typing her travel tales, you can catch the hobbyist photographer capturing the next frame, dabbling in arts and crafts, or gushing over puppers and kittens.