As several countries get ready to reopen their borders for vaccinated foreign travellers, Indians who have received Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin jabs may not qualify for travelling abroad as many countries are yet to approve the vaccine. Multiple reports said that over 130 countries across the globe currently accept Serum Institute of India’s (SII) Covishield vaccine to enter their country while Covaxin is accepted in only nine nations.
Also, Covaxin is not yet on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Emergency Use Listing (EUL). The latest WHO guidance document shows that Bharat Biotech has submitted its Expression of Interest (EoI) but “more information is required".
Bharat Biotech was yet to react to the reports.
However, a peer-review publication Clinical Infectious Diseases has noted that Covaxin demonstrates protection against the new Covid-19 variants. The study found that vaccination with Covaxin produced neutralising titres against all key emerging variants tested including B1617 and B117, first identified in India and the UK, respectively. A modest reduction in neutralisation by a factor of 1.95 was observed against the B1617 variant compared to the vaccine variant.
Top officials in the country said this week that they will begin clinical trials to test the Covaxin vaccine’s efficacy in children between two to 18 years of age in 10-12 days.
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“Covaxin has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in the age group of two to 18 years. I have been told that trials will begin in the next 10-12 days," V.K. Paul, NITI Aayog’s Member Health, had said.
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