Countries are preparing to gradually restart travel and tourism after prolonged Covid restrictions

Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) which manufactures India’s homegrown Covid-19 Covaxin vaccine has submitted 90% of the documentation needed for the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Emergency Use Listing.

“Application for EUL has been submitted to WHO-Geneva, regulatory approvals are expected Jul-Sept 2021,” the company said in an official statement.

It further informed that EUL has been obtained in 13 countries with more to follow.

The Emergency Use Listing (EUL) will open the doors for the Indian developed Covaxin to be accepted and used by other countries.

This comes as countries prepare to gradually restart travel and tourism after prolonged Covid restrictions, and there is nervousness among students with the WHO not approving 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.

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

Bharat Biotech also updated that the regulatory approvals for COVAXIN are in process in more than 60 countries, USA, Brazil, Hungary etc.

“Most countries recommend vaccinations against COVID-19. Unvaccinated travelers can travel with negative RT-PCR tests prior to travel, in the absence of any other country specific travel restrictions,” it said.

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

Covaxin and Serum Institute of India's Covishield are the two vaccines being used to inoculate people in the country. Russia's Sputnik will become the third.