Problem of Indian students who received Covaxin raised with US

Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla had a productive meeting today with US Acting Ambassador Daniel B. Smith @USAmbIndia about India-US relations, regional issues & cooperation in the UN; also discussed Covid19 situation, supply of vaccines & cooperation in combating the pandemic.

Hindustan Times report said citing sources that the issue of travel by Indian students vaccinated with the indigenously developed Covaxin vaccine, which is yet to receive approval from World Health Organization (WHO), was raised by Shringla.

The sources stated that Smith assured to convey India’s concerns to US authorities, the report added.

Covishield, which has been jointly developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and manufactured in India by Serum Institute of India (SII), has been approved by WHO for emergency use.

As the US is easing restrictions, many US universities are planning regular classrooms for the students from August.

The CDC website says that foreign travellers and students will be considered fully vaccinated if two weeks have elapsed after the second dose of a two-dose vaccine, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine. “If you don’t meet these requirements, you are NOT fully vaccinated,” the guidelines state.

Of the vaccines used in India, the CDC approves only the AstraZeneca jab which is available in India as Covishield and Covain is not approved by it.

Indian students vaccinated with Covaxin and planning to join campuses in US and Europe have raised the issue with the government, especially the External Affairs Ministry, said the report.

Bharat Biotech, the maker of Covaxin, will provide additional documents for WHO’s emergency use listing of the vaccine by June.