In November, the United States will reopen to all passengers who have been wholly vaccinated against the coronavirus. India is one of the 33 countries from which fully vaccinated visitors will be permitted entry. Covishield is the only vaccine manufactured in India that is now on the list of authorized vaccinations.
The White House quickly emphasized that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make the ultimate decision on which vaccinations will be authorized. A person under the highest medical authority in the country is deemed “fully vaccinated” for coronavirus if he or she has received FDA or vaccines that have been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Foreign nationals will be asked to provide proof of immunization before travel but will not be quarantined once they arrive.
Read also: Kerala HC allows Covishield second jab after 28 days in pvt sector
Made-in-India Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin does not qualify because it has not been authorized by the WHO or the US Food and Drug Administration. Covaxin, along with Covishield and Sputnik V, is one of six vaccines that have gained emergency use authorization from India’s medicines authority and are being used in the country’s countrywide immunization programme.
Read also: Six Kerala districts have no Covishield vaccine doses left
Covaxin is expected to receive WHO clearance this month. In June, the US denied a request for an emergency use authorization for Covaxin. The US move to relax travel restrictions came on the same day India announced that it would begin exporting and donating surplus vaccinations next month. India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, halted vaccine exports in April to focus on immunizing its people.
