NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD: Australia will recognise Covaxin, apart from Covishield, allowing those vaccinated with them entry into the continent. PM Modi thanked his Australian counterpart and “dear friend” Scott Morrison for “recognition of India’s Covaxin.” “It is an important step forward in the post-Covid partnership between India and Australia,” he said.
While WHO emergency use listing for Bharat Biotech’s vaccine is awaited, 16 countries have so far recognised Covaxin for travel purposes. These include Australia, Estonia, Greece, Iran, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Australia’s high commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell on Monday tweeted that the country’s drug regulator has “determined that Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech) vaccine would be ‘recognised’ for the purpose of establishing a traveller’s vaccination status. Importantly, recognition of Covaxin, along with the previously announced recognition of Covishield (manufactured by AstraZeneca), means many Indian citizens, as well as other countries, will now be considered fully vaccinated on entry to Australia.”
The Australian health ministry website says the “recognition is for travellers aged 12 and over who have been vaccinated with Covaxin.” Sources at Bharat Biotech told TOI that the company had been submitting rolling data to Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) over the past couple of months, and this has culminated in the recognition. “Similarly, the company has been submitting data to regulators of many other countries to facilitate recognition of the vaccine to ease travel barriers for those who have taken Covaxin,” the source added.
Australia’s recognition to Covaxin comes soon after the US eased travel restrictions for Covaxin-vaccinated travellers by allowing trial participants to enter without having to quarantine