Bharat Biotech Assured Of WHO Nod For Covaxin Travel Anxiety

As countries prep to moderately restart travel and tourism after prolonged Covid restrictions, there is nervousness among students with the World Health Organisation not approving Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

Nations like the US, Canada, Australia, Ireland and the EU do not recognize Covaxin on their approved list of vaccines for now. Top universities are only allowing those who have received vaccines approved by their countries or the WHO.

“Covaxin is not on the approved list, which means students will not be exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine which is very expensive – to stay in a hotel for 14 days,” said Soumya Pandey, Country Advisor, University of Limerick.

The WHO has Pfizer, Moderna and Covishield on its approved list but for Covaxin, it says “more information required”.

Bharat Biotech, in a detailed statement today addressing the anxiety, said the company was on track to get approvals and had submitted “90 per cent of the documentation required” for WHO’s authorization for Emergency Use Listing.

“The remaining is expected to be submitted in June,” said the company, adding that it is confident of getting clearance subsequently, “given its experience of getting its other vaccines pre-qualified by WHO”.

Bharat Biotech also said it was in the final stages of submitting documents for Covaxin’s regulatory approvals in Brazil and Hungary after “extensive bilateral consultations” with both countries. “BBIL is also in the final stages of negotiations with FDA of the USA for conducting small-scale phase-III clinical trials in the US,” the company said.

Bharat Biotech released the statement after a meeting with the government on the status of its application before the WHO.

Covaxin has received deciding approvals from 11 countries and 11 companies in seven countries have shown interest towards the technology transfer and production of the Covid shot.

“It is important to note that no country has instituted a vaccine passport. Countries have their own requirements for approval, which in most cases involves travel by carrying a negative RT-PCR report,” Bharat Biotech said.