Australia adds Covaxin to list of 'recognised' COVID-19 vaccines

Australian government on Monday gave recognition to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine for the purpose of establishing a traveller's vaccination status in the country.

Melbourne:The Australian government on Monday recognised India's Covaxin, a vaccine against the coronavirus. Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield are the two widely used vaccines in India. Australia has already recognised Covishield. "Today, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) determined that Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech, India) and BBIBP-CorV (manufactured by Sinopharm, China) vaccines would be 'recognised' for the purpose of establishing a traveller's vaccination status, Australia's medicines and medical devices regulator TGA said in a tweet.

This recognition is for travellers aged 12 and over who have been vaccinated with Covaxin, and those 18 to 60 who have been vaccinated with BBIBP-CorV. In recent weeks, the TGA has obtained additional information demonstrating these vaccines provide protection and potentially reduce the likelihood that an incoming traveller would transmit COVID-19 infection to others while in Australia or become acutely unwell due to COVID-19.

The supporting information has been provided to the TGA from the vaccine sponsor and/or the World Health Organisation. Today, the TGAgovau determined that Covaxin (manufactured by Bharat Biotech,) vaccine would be 'recognised' for the purpose of establishing a traveller's vaccination status, Australia's High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell AO said on Twitter, Importantly, recognition of #Covaxin, along with the previously announced recognition of #Covishield (manufactured by Astra ZenecaIn), means many citizens, as well as other countries, will now be considered fully vaccinated on entry to Australia, he said in another tweet.

PTI