Coronavirus: Travellers who have taken Covaxin shot can enter United States from November 8

The United States on Wednesday included Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin to its list of approved vaccines against coronavirus, ANI reported. Travellers who have taken the Covaxin shot will be allowed to visit the country from November 8, when the US opens its borders.

“CDC’s [Centres for Disease Control] travel guidance applies to FDA [Food and Drug] approved or authorized and WHO [World Health Organization] Emergency Use Listing vaccines and encompasses any new vaccines that may be added to either of those lists over time,” US Centers for Disease Control press officer Scott Pauley said.

Bharat Biotech on Wednesday received the World Health Organization’s emergency use listing for Covaxin.

Emergency use listing is a procedure by the global health body to approve vaccines and other products for use during public health emergencies. The duration of the emergency use listing process depends on the quality of the data submitted by the vaccine manufacturer.

It took more than three months for Covaxin to get the WHO’s clearance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pushed for the vaccine’s approval at the G20 summit held earlier this month.

The global health body said that Covaxin was found to be 78% effective against the coronavirus in case of all severities. The World Health Organization also advised a gap of 14 or more days between the two shots.

Without the health body’s approval, people vaccinated with Covaxin doses were facing difficulties in travelling to other countries. Many countries have been taking in only those people who have taken vaccines approved by them or the World Health Organization.

Australia, Oman, Greece, Mauritius and the Philippines, among other countries, have recently recognised Covaxin. Before Covaxin, the World Health Organization has approved six vaccines from Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca-Oxford, Moderna, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.