India's indigenous vaccine Covaxin has got travel approval in Australia. That is, now any Indian who has got the vaccine will be able to go to Australia with a vaccination certificate. He will not have to be quarantined for 14 days. The Australian government made this decision just 2 days before the WHO meeting on Covaxin. The World Health Organization is scheduled to meet on 3 November. Bharat Biotech Company, which makes Covaxin, hopes that in this meeting the WHO will give emergency approval to their vaccine. Hyderabad-based company Bharat Biotech had applied to the WHO on April 19 for approval of the vaccine. Let us inform you that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has also got 2 doses of Covaxin.
Australia has approved the Indian Covaxin as well as the Chinese company Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine. In Australia, now 2-2 vaccines of both India and China have been approved. This includes India's CoveShield and Covaxin, and China's Sinovac and Sinoform.
The WHO had earlier held a meeting on 26 October regarding the approval of Covaxin. In this, more data was sought from Bharat Biotech regarding the vaccine. The World Health Organization had asked the company for technical data related to the risks and benefits of the vaccines. On Monday, 5 more countries have recognized India's vaccine certificate. These countries include Estonia, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Mauritius and Mongolia.
In the last WHO meeting, no decision could be taken on the approval of Covaxin. However, Maryangela Simao, ADG of Medicine and Health Products of WHO, said that we have faith in India's vaccine industry. Bharat Biotech is continuously providing us with data. Now a decision on this can be taken in the meeting to be held on November 3.
