After WHO’s approval, US gives nod to travelers vaccinated with Covaxin to enter country from Nov 8

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• Nov 4, 2021 | moderator

Washington D.C: Foreign tourists who have been vaccinated with Covaxin have been given the green light to enter the United States starting November 8.

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

"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," CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund told USA TODAY.

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

Also read: Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin gets WHO nod for emergency use

The emergency listing got delayed last month as the technical advisory group sought some additional clarification from Bharat Biotech for its final risk assessment. The technical advisory group met on Wednesday to take the final call, and Covaxin has been recommended for emergency use listing.

Covaxin has demonstrated 77.8 per cent effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 and 65.2 per cent protection against the new Delta variant. Bharat Biotech said that it concluded the final analysis of Covaxin efficacy from Phase 3 trials. WHO has so far approved Covid-19 vaccines of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio/Serum Institute of India, Johnson 7 Johnson – Janssen, Moderna, and Sinopharm for emergency use.

The go-ahead from the technical team can be considered as getting approval from WHO and the world body has also announced it on its social media platform.