The UK’s announcement that India’s Covaxin will be added to the list of approved Covid-19 vaccinations for overseas travellers will take effect on November 22. This means that thousands of Indian travellers who have received the Bharat Biotech-produced vaccine will not need to self-isolate once they arrive in the United Kingdom.
China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm have been added to the UK government’s list of approved vaccinations, benefiting fully vaccinated people from the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia as well. These three Covid-19 vaccines have been distributed in over one billion doses around the world.
After the World Health Organization (WHO) cleared their “emergency-use listing,” the adjustments were announced earlier this month.
Covaxin was listed as an emergency use item by the WHO on November 3.
Since October 4, the UK has recognised Covishield, the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, for inbound travel.
It also began recognising India’s vaccine certificates on October 11, putting an end to a travel standoff that had resulted in UK nationals being subjected to a 10-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival, even if fully vaccinated.
The two primary vaccines utilised in India’s vaccination programme are Covishield and Covaxin. Sputnik, a Russian-made satellite, and Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccination have also been licenced by the country.
According to news agency ANI, government authorities claimed last week that Covaxin and Covishield had been recognised by as many as 110 countries. New Zealand and Australia are two of these countries.
The first two vaccines to acquire emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the statewide vaccination effort, which began on January 16, were Covaxin and Covishield. The former is the first anti-Covid shot created in India, and it was developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited in Hyderabad. The latter is an Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is made in Pune by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
