International students in the UK to receive Covid-19 vaccine

Finally, significant and welcoming news has arrived for international students currently studying or planning to study in the UK. The UK Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that international students would “be able to access these vaccinations, just as they are able to access healthcare,” the PIE reports.

On December 2, The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorized Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine for emergency supply. With this crucial scientific breakthrough, the UK has become the first nation to approve a Covid-19 vaccination. Around 40 million doses have been preordered, enough to cover a third of the uk population. The first batch of 800,000 doses is expected to be available in the coming days.

UK Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said, “This is a momentous occasion and provides fresh hope that we can beat this pandemic, with the UK at the forefront of this revolutionary breakthrough.”

The vaccine will be first made available to frontline corona warriors including health and care workers, Staff and residents in care homes and people over 80, then the rest of the population in the order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.

International students having the underlying medical conditions will fall into priority categories.

In the UK, international students receive free medical aid with some exceptions through the National Health Service, for which they pay a surcharge during the visa application process.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, The UK government has been issuing guidance to foreign students on travelling and attending classes. The government extended visas for those whose leave expired between January 24 and July 31, 2020, and relaxed the rules on switching in the UK.

On December 3, in an open letter, the Minister of State for Universities, Michelle Donelan MP, expressed the government’s commitment to supporting international students to fight against the coronavirus disease.

“Our world-leading universities, which thrive on being global institutions, will always be open to international students. I remain committed to ensuring you have the fullest experience possible whilst studying at one of our brilliant universities and that you remain as safe as possible during this unprecedented and challenging time.”

As per the recent survey by Navitas, the perception of the UK as a study destination among education agents has remained relatively well even in these rapidly changing and uncertain times. Nearly 400 agents in 63 countries who participated ranked the UK as the most’ open and welcoming’ as well as chose it as the highest reputed among the study destinations.

To Study in the UK, international students need a UK study visa whose process has recently been changed to points-based by the government. To know about the process and apply for a UK study visa, students are advised to contact the pyramid’s visa experts by calling at 92563-92563 or visiting any of the pyramid's nearest branches.