Travellers vaccinated with Covaxin can enter United States

Friday, November 5, 2021

The travellers who are vaccinated with Covaxin can enter US after WHO grants emergency use listing.

The foreign tourists fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with Covaxin have been given the green light to enter the United States starting Nov. 8.

The Centers for Disease Control said the vaccine would be added to its list of acceptable vaccines for foreign travellers Wednesday after the World Health Organization granted Covaxin emergency use listing.

CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund said that 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.

The last-minute addition comes less than one week before the U.S. launches its new travel system, which grants entry to foreign travellers who have received a vaccine that has been approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug administration or WHO.

The new U.S. travel rules will also accept travellers fully vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Covishield, Sinopharm and Sinovac.

There are some exceptions to the vaccination requirement, including travellers under 18. Travellers must also take a coronavirus test before arrival.

Before Wednesday’s announcement, the CDC had planned to allow travellers vaccinated with Covaxin to enter the U.S. only if they had been participating in a phase three trial of the vaccine.

Covaxin, developed by the Indian biotechnology company Bharat Biotech in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research, has a 78% efficacy rate against COVID-19 and is “extremely suitable” for low- and middle-income countries because it is easy to store, according to WHO.

The vaccine is popular in India, and Bharat Biotech has said it has received emergency use authorization in several other countries including Mexico, the Philippines, Iran and Paraguay.

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