After WHO Nod, Travellers Vaccinated With Covaxin Can Enter US From November 8

Fully vaccinated travellers with Bharat Biotech’s Covid vaccine Covaxin have been given green light to enter the United States from November 8. The announcement comes as WHO’s Technical Advisory Group, which met on Wednesday, recommended the Emergency Use Listing status for Covaxin.

Talking to ANI over updating the approved travel list for Covaxin, CDC press officer Scott Pauley told ANI that US’ travel guidelines apply to FDA approved on WHO Emergency Listed vaccines.

“CDC’s travel guidance applies to FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines and encompasses any new vaccines that may be added to either of those lists over time,” he said.

The recent addition comes less than one week before the US launches its new travel system, which allows entry to foreign travellers who have received a vaccine that has been approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or WHO.

The White House on October 16 said it will lift Covid-19 travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international visitors starting November 8, ending historic restrictions that had barred much of the world from entering the United States for as long as 21 months.

The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday acknowledged the WHO granting emergency use listing to Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech. The new travel rules will also accept travellers fully vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm and Sinovac.

“WHO has granted emergency use listing (EUL) to #COVAXIN® (developed by Bharat Biotech), adding to a growing portfolio of vaccines validated by WHO for the prevention of Covid-19,” the UN health body said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The Technical Advisory Group had met October 26 and sought additional details from Bharat Biotech. Covaxin has demonstrated 77.8 per cent effectiveness against symptomatic Covid-19 and 65.2 per cent protection against the new Delta variant. In June, the company said it concluded the final analysis of Covaxin efficacy from Phase 3 trials.

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