Australia recognises Covaxin, opens door for Indians’ entry

Australia recognises Covaxin, opens door for Indians’ entry

Saurabh Sinha & Swati Bharadwaj TNN

New Delhi/Hyderabad:  02.11 2021

Australia will recognise Covaxin, apart from Covishield, allowing those vaccinated with them entry into the continent.

Prime Minister Narendra 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.” Those who have received two doses of Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)-approved or recognised vaccine at least 14 days apart are regarded as fully vaccinated from seven days after the second dose. This includes homologous (two doses of the same vaccine) and heterologous (two doses of two different TGAapproved or recognised vaccines) schedules.

“In recent weeks, the TGA has obtained additional information demonstrating these vaccines provide protection and potentially reduce the likelihood that an incoming traveller would transmit Covid-19 infection to others while in Australia or become acutely unwell due to Covid-19,” the website says.

“Importantly, recognition of Covaxin, and BBIBPCorV, along with the previously announced recognition of Coronavac (manufactured by Sinovac, China) and Covishield (manufactured by AstraZeneca, India), means many citizens of China and India as well as other countries in our region where these vaccines have been widely deployed will now be considered fully vaccinated on entry to Australia. This will have significant impacts for the return of international students, and travel of skilled and unskilled workers to Australia.”

Indonesia 1st to approve SII’s Novavax

New Delhi:

Biotechnology firm Novavax Inc and its partner Serum Institute of India on Monday said they have received the first emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, in Indonesia. The vaccine will be manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) in India and marketed by it in Indonesia under the brand name Covovax, Novavax Inc said in a statement. "The National Agency of Drug and Food Control of the Republic of Indonesia, or Badan Peng was Obat dan Makanan (Badan POM), has granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Novavax' recombinant nanoparticle protein-based COVID-19 vaccine with Matrix-M adjuvant," it added. Initial shipments into Indonesia are expected to begin imminently, the statement said. PTI